Wicked Games
by QueenxMurphy
Summary: Callista has always been trying to please her father's wishes her whole entire life but when she finally stands up for her own self, she looses everything she worked for. Mistakes were made after her hard work paid off, but has she lost everything or gained new opportunities?
1. Chapter 1

Callista heaved an exhausted sigh while closing the antiquated leather bound book. The words on the weathered pages became too blurred to continue, her studious limit completely depleted. Her fingers absently traced the engraved lines that detailed the bark of a tree with its branches littered with leaves that stretched across the width of the worn hide. The journal held a special place within her heart and now held obtained information to achieve her pursued dream. For seventeen years, she left it untouched on her night stand, tracing it every night before she slipped into unconsciousness dreaming of people she could never see again and places that she had never been.

"You know, it's not as bad as you think," Raven drawled out lazily as she turned a page from her own notebook, briefly glancing up to check if Callista heard her. Callista threw Raven a look of bewilderment with her hands nervously tangled into the mess of her auburn curls, her fingers tugging the coiled strands of hair straight. Just the thought of Callista revealing to her father that she wanted a different life than what he envisioned caused her to stress even more. It was apparent that Callista hadn't believed her friends comforting words. "If anything," Raven continued, "He'll be proud you pass. Just think, we'll both be the youngest zero gravity mechanic's the Ark has seen in fifty-two years." She emphasized each word to boost Callista's confidence.

"I know it is," Callista spoke softly, her voice barely audible as she doubted herself. Callista excelled to an advanced level with Raven in their Mecha classes; she possessed the ability to strive towards the Zero-G program. Callista harbored her passion for the Mecha station from her father. "You've wanted this more than I have." Callista admitted, blowing out a sigh of frustration. Raven's eyebrows furrowed together as she disagreed with Callista's statement. Hours of dedication were spent pouring every bit of information scoured from all the books they could retrieve in relations to the Ark's working mechanisms. Raven eyed the leather bound journal lying in her friend's lap, knowing that this exam was important to both of them.

"You know that lying to yourself that you don't want this just as bad as Raven does, isn't going to change the amount of regret and resentment you'll feel later when you continue to do whatever your father tells you to do." Finn voiced from the doorframe of Callista's quarters. "You want a choice. It's your life, so you should have the right to decide how to spend it on this metal piece of junk."

"Besides, in the Mecha station, you're keeping the whole Ark alive, allowing all the stations and twelve nations to continuously keep working in order to stay in orbit and help the whole colony population thrive and survive. Now, that's something to take pride in," Raven declared, tilting her head slightly towards Callista. Callista chuckled, knowing Raven offered a valid point. Callista would rather be productive as a zero gravity mechanic than arresting citizens for a punishment that didn't deserve the cost of their life.

Callista tilted her head back letting an overdue laugh slip from her lips as she shook her head back and forth. "Fine," she caved with a wide grin, her mood lifted in an instant, "You guys are right. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Callista threw her hands up, her stressful anxiousness eased. She was terrified of standing up to her father but she craved to follow her purpose; to prove that was where she belonged as her own choice.

"Well, yeah, and the fact that I know you two are fully capable of passing that exam. You guys seriously use any free second of the day with your noses buried in these books!" He exaggerated dramatically, using a playful frown but there was an emotion of understanding in his eyes. He was lightening up the mood with a joke.

Callista shot a grin as she clutched her journal close to her heart. Pride beamed from her smile from everything that was accomplished. She glanced over at Raven whom remained stretched across the length of Callista's bed as she absorbed the words from the page of the book while pausing to transfer a few sentences into her notebook; continuously repeating the process every few minutes. "That's the price to pay for emerging as the two youngest Zero-G mechanics the Ark will have seen in fifty-two years, right Ray?" Callista teased earning a dismissive wave from Raven's hand as she trained her focus solely on studying the book opened in front of her sprawled out body.

"How hasn't your father even noticed that you haven't bothered training for the retake of the endurance test?" Finn asked in all seriousness, wiping away the carefree mood in an instant. He shifted away from the door frame and joined the two on the small twin sized mattress, climbing over Raven before settling into the unoccupied corner of Callista's bed. "I just don't understand how he's convinced the Guard is where you belong when Sinclair talks about the two of you like you were created from a wrench monkey's womb."

Callista sat back against the wall she was propped against, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "He's been too busy lately with the Council. Things have changed a lot," She spoke carefully, her fingers picking at her callouses within the creases of her palms. Her face held a troubled expression, unmistakably withholding information that she chose not to elaborate on.

Callista's father changed drastically overtime. Every decision made and voted on through the Council created more lines that stressed the texture of his skin, making his appearance older than he really was. Callista would study her father from a distance, noting that he wasn't the same person that guided her as she grew up. He once had soft brown eyes but all she could see now were black empty orbs containing a coldness that chilled her to the bone. There was an emotion of remorse occasionally after the hard times; he was only human. Her father wasn't the only one that changed; there was a domino effect through the whole colony. The guard became more strict and ruthless with arrests, using more fear tactics. The Council was floating people for barely even stepping a toe out of line. This angered Callista. It caused tension and more arguments with her father on multiple occasions. She would explain that she wanted no part in damning a person's life to deprivation of oxygen based on mistakes, like protecting another being of whom they cared for; something that anybody would do if they were faced in such a situation. Why did saving a life, have to cost a payment of more lives? There were countless of juveniles being locked away over the silliest of reasons, and even though their case would become reviewed at the age of eighteen, they'd end up floating because any form of disobedient behavior against the Council's regulations was met with death.

"I rarely even see him daily, so that's how I get away with exclusively studying for the Zero-G exam. He doesn't really have time to pay attention to me." Callista muttered her forehead wrinkled as turmoil of emotions of sadness overcame her. "I think he just wants me to have a privileged, obedient, and well-respected life within the government," she whispered hoarsely. Callista pushed the unwarranted anxiousness away from plaguing her mind.

"Would you want us to be present when you break the ice?" Finn offered thoughtfully as assisted Raven in collecting her precious books, stacking them into a neat pile at the edge of Callista's nightstand. He helped Raven off of the bed before grabbing the stack. They paused at the door, glancing at Callista.

Callista shook her head indicating her immediate response, "No I think this is something I need to do on my own, but thanks," she politely declined. She stood to her feet, stretching the kinks that formed being cramped by the multiple books that littered the overcrowded space on her mattress.

It wasn't too long after Raven and Finn departed the small room when she began to tidy the mess her quarters had become. Her own mechanic books cluttered her bed; some books even found themselves partially open to the sheet of metal that was a part of the floor. Callista quickly gathered them in her arms, stacking them off to the side of the loose panel, carefully removing it with ease before wedging the books securely in their rightful hiding places. The truth was, she was lying to her father. He constantly asked about her retake exam, especially since time was dwindling as her eighteenth birthday approached fast, demanding an official statement of where she would earn her keep with proof of test scores that she possessed that capability for the required work.

Her eyes scanned the room ensuring that all the books were concealed. She purposely left out her journal of handwritten barely legible notes, reminding herself that the exam was literally days away. She could afford a couple of nights of reading the journal without being discovered. She chewed on her lips nervously, contemplating the risk of being caught. There were slim chances he wouldn't even ask, let alone read it; even if her father attempted reading it, he would have a hell of a time making out the words scribbled hastily onto the page. She secured the floor panel, standing up while brushing her hands against her jeans before grabbing the precious journal, cradling it carefully as she brushed her fingers against the texture engravings once more.

"Callista!" her father's voice exclaimed, "I've got some great news."

Callista froze, her eyes shifting to the journal she held in her hands. The slim chances were a bigger risk than what she anticipated. Her grip tightened on the journal before hanging her arm loosely to her side. She planned to divert his attention from her journal as long as she could possibly manage. Callista turned around and greeted her father with a partial hug.

There was no doubt in her mind that she needed to study more. This is what she deserved for procrastinating the scheduling of her exam that determined her fate. She knew that in order to achieve and pass the exam, which she would have to dedicate precious time to absorb the material. Her time was limited though, her father would eventually try to use a few favors of his privileged life to force me towards the guard.

"...Callista, did you hear me?" he repeated as she tilted her head in confusion, shaking it slightly while crossing her arms cautiously over her chest, concealing the journal from his questioning curious eyes. He continuously glanced at the book as he spoke words that were unheard. His eyebrows rutted together as if he wanted to ask but hadn't had the right moment to direct the focus of attention towards the book she clutched against her chest protectively.

"Sorry Dad, stress of the exams are getting to me, what did you say?" She spoke apologetically, hoping he wouldn't get upset. The worst case scenario, she would end up explaining to him her desired dream if he dared to ask.

"Callista, you're doing it again," he spoke sharply, agitation evident in his voice at the lack of Callista's focus. "How do you expect to become a part of the Guard if you're inattentive? It's no wonder you can't pass your endurance entrance exam," he chastised in a condescending tone.

This was the perfect opportunity to confess. Callista's father had no idea that she intentionally failed her physical exam a few back, trying to buy herself more time. She knew he was determined to have his daughter accepted into the Go-Sci station, to set an example to the rest of the colony of her well-behaved and obedient manners. He was too busy with Council meetings to arrange something that would work in his favor to help his child.

"I'm not lacking focus Dad," Callista defended meekly, completely opting out of her declaration for the passion she harbored inside for mechanics and engineering. "I've just been really focused on training so that's all I can think about right now in order to pass," She faked enthusiasm with convincing smile.

She hated how she would rather make her father proud and happy rather than herself.

He chuckled. "Well, if you would listen to me, you'd hear that I was able to work out a couple of favors for you!" He grinned widely. His hazel eyes danced with prideful excitement as dread quickly consumed Callista. Her extra bought time came to its expiration. She was convinced that she had at least another week to work with and planned informing her father after she passed. "Somebody will be come to your quarters the next couple of days to help you pass your endurance test and I was able to schedule you for the entrance exam in a few days."

"A few days?" She repeated slowly as her grip tightening more on her journal. There was no way she would be able dedicate time to study if he found somebody to specially train her. She gnawed at her bottom lip as she considered against telling him after the exam; she needed to do it now.

"Your exam is on Friday," he continued to speak, his words barely registering in Callista's mind as she anticipated her options.

Callista felt absolutely defeated. There would be no time to study, and even if she managed to find the time, the chance of taking her zero gravity exam; dissipated completely. The Mecha station is a brilliant group of people, outstanding at performing their jobs. It was going to be absolutely dangerous, making those repairs on the outside, but it was going to be worth standing up for everything Callista wanted. All she had to do was open her mouth.

''I can tell you're stressed Callista, but everything will go smoothly," Her father reassured her while patting her shoulder after standing to his feet to make his departure his daughter's quarters.

Callista shook her head furiously. "No," she muttered, stepping away from him as if he burned her with his words. "It's not going to go smoothly -" He cut her protests off with a wave of his hand, giving her a confident smile filled with such belief that she held all the capability in the whole colony of passing the endurance exam. "That's because you weren't prepared, that's all Callista," he repeated, pulling her into a tight hug. She wanted to believe his words, but she wanted those words to be towards her own dreams; not his own agenda.

"Dad, I need to tell you something," She whispered, her voice barely audible to her own ears as she pulled away from him, shaking her head again. She knew she would regret never taking a stand for herself. Finn was right. She would resent her father for forcing her into a lifestyle she never wanted. Within time, she would probably end up hating Raven's own achievement. It was her choice. "I was going to wait because I wasn't sure if you'd be-"

"Kane, Sir," a young cadet interrupted bursting through her door as he corrected himself before continuing, "You're needed for a vote," the desperate tone of his voice was gravely stricken and Callista grimaced. She understood the weight of the words that the cadet spoken. Somebody was about to become floated. She fought back the repulsive feeling as she studied my father's face. This was the second time this month another floating was voted on.

"We'll talk about this in a bit," Marcus muttered worriedly before following the cadet away from Callista's room.

Callista fell back onto the mattress from the overwhelming emotions and the mental exhaustion. She had been seconds away from telling her father. Her fingers opened the pages of her journal, the over complicated words of mechanics strengthening her resolve. "Tomorrow," she declared quietly, determined to not to miss her chance.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a heavy pounding on the door that stirred Callista from her slumber. Grumbles of strung curse words were expressed under her breath as she wished the unwanted visitor away. She peeked out from underneath her blankets to peer at the blurry blue numbers that blinked a reflection of the time. It was five thirty. She hadn't even been asleep for an hour. The knocking continued impatiently, forcing Callista to stumble out of her bed and shuffle her feet towards the door. She swung the door open, rubbing some of the sleep from her eyes. "What do you want?" She demanded, exhaustion inhibiting her ability to be nice.

"Your father wanted to be sure that you received some training for your endurance test," the blonde haired lady stated authoritatively. Callista noticed the familiar black regulated uniform the guards were issued to wear. Her eyes narrowed upon seeing the holstered firearm at her hip, showing that this particular guard wasn't just any cadet. She was standing at a high ranking leaving an unsettling feeling with Callista . "So, let's go, you were supposed to be ready an hour ago."

Callista wrinkled her nose at the thought, rubbing the back of her head. "Listen," Callista started, her eyebrows furrowing together as she came to realization that she hadn't caught the guard's name. She couldn't recall if her father mentioned a name for this special training session. The guard sighed impatiently, not pleased to be wasting her time. "Major Byrne," she offered while Callista returned an apologetic smile for her disrespect.

"Major Byrne, it's five thirty in the morning, I have loads of studying to prepare for my exam, so there's no need for your assistance today." Callista spoke evenly, trying to restrain the irritation she currently felt for her sleep being interrupted. "I'm sorry if my father caused you an inconvenience of your time," she finished respectfully. Callista forced a smile before making an effort to close the door to show the Major she was dismissed from carrying out Marcus's favor.

The Major wasn't easily shaken off as Callista hoped. Her foot quickly jarred the door, preventing the door from sealing shut and locking itself against the uninvited company. Callista grounded her teeth together to contain the immediate anger that came from Byrne forcing her body into the small quarters Callista called home. Byrne took surveillance around the cubicle area that barely held a twin sized mattress, scoffing at the lack of furniture and the size of the room. "For perks of having your father on the Council, most would assume that you're a spoiled, disrespectful, little brat," her harsh words caused Callista to flinch as if each word had physically cut into her skin like a knife. "I can clearly see that you haven't earned those privileged rights."

Callista masked her emotions by coughing at the audacity Byrne spoken under wrong assumptions. Callista wanted nothing more than to yell at her to vacant her home, but clamped her mouth shut while clinching her shaking fist. "Excuse me," Callista sputtered, her rage burning through her narrowed eyes. "I'm not training with you and I don't need to explain myself." Callista recollected her anger by releasing her irritation with a sigh.

"Listen kid," Byrne sneered, "I don't want to train you. However, a favor was owed so here I am. If you think I'm going to lose any of my ranks due to your laziness, then you're clearly mistaken. Let's go." Her fingers locked around Callista 's arm inflicting slight pain as Byrne yanked her body forcibly out of her quarters. Byrne proceeded to drag Callista through the halls of the Ark in just her pajamas which consisted of worn sweat pants and a thin black cami top.

"Let me go, I can walk," Callista demanded, yanking her arm from the Major with a strength Callista wasn't aware she held. The Major gave Callista a look of disbelief that she feasibly managed to easily remove herself from Byrne's restraining hold. Callista 's feet softly padded against the metal grated flooring, the silence unbearable from the weight of tension. "I wasn't telling a lie earlier Major Byrne, I was being honest," Callista spoke hesitantly following alongside the Major as they walked towards the training facility located in the Go-Sci station. The halls were deserted with an exception of a few straggling guards making their way near the same facility. "I failed my endurance test purposely." Callista choked out the words as she spoke, knowing that she needed to tell her father; revealing the truth to Byrne would reinforce the confession as a backup plan in case Callista found herself with her lips sealed again.

Byrne never responded.

Callista peered up at her, studying the clenched jaws of annoyance as Byrne keep her gaze straight forward, locked onto their destination. The woman appeared to be severely annoyed. Callista had yet to determine if it was towards the fact the Major was stuck training an ungrateful kid who wasn't appreciative of the help or if it was from the small disagreement. Callista assumed that it was probably a mixture of the two. She knew that she needed to at least apologize to Byrne if she wanted to survive the training alive. "I'm sorry if I seemed disrespectful, I'm not entirely a morning person, especially when I just fell asleep," Callista admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck nervously and flashing the Major another apologetic smile.

The Major stopped and actually studied Callista . Byrne's eyes were flickering with curiosity with a question she had wanted to ask since Callista shared her sheltered secret to a complete stranger. "Why?" She finally asked the question that Callista was waiting for in anticipation.

"I don't want to be in the guard," Callista replied simply with a shrug of her shoulders. "I can't be like you Major Byrne, I'm sure you've already came to that conclusion yourself though."

The Major remained quiet, her body propped against the wall as she calculated Callista 's body posture and facial expressions, determining if she was being completely honest or lying through her teeth. "It's your lucky day Callista ," Byrne laughed maliciously. "I have better things to do than discard my time on a lying waste of space such as yourself. After I'm done with you, you'll pass your exam with no problem."

Callista was at a loss of words while Byrne pushed off the wall, resuming her pace towards the entrance of the training facility. She stared after the Major with a sinking feeling. This training was a challenge presented that she couldn't avoid. "Let's go Kane, you've got a long day ahead of you," she called over her shoulder as Callista groaned another protest before following after Byrne.

A few hours into training and Callista hadn't lost her breath. Byrnes put her body through the ringer. Callista convinced herself that the Major was just exercising whatever resentment she had pent up towards Marcus by torturing Callista with repetitive demanding drills. Byrne held up her hand after Callista finished another set of ordered laps around the large padded room, signaling a break to respond to a com call.

"This bitch is trying to kill me," Callista gasped, more to herself than to anyone else. There were hardly any guards present considering it was still quite early. Callista sank to the floor with relief for the small rest. She pressed her face into the sweat soaked floor that she sprawled against on her belly to relieve the aching burning sensation from the multiple exercises. Her legs felt as if they turned into jelly from continuously running, wall sitting, and squatting; Byrne made her repeat the process in an endless cycle of doing a set of each of those.

Another guard nearby chuckled after hearing the complaint of Major Byrne's brutality. Callista barely rolled her head to the side, squinting to recognize the familiarity of the cadet. Her muck green eyes narrowed into slits recognizing the same cadet from last night that interrupted her chance. If it hadn't been for his poor timing, she wouldn't be currently suffering the viciousness of Major Byrne. "This is your fault," Callista muttered irritably as the Major's voice raised a few octaves with her eyebrows furrowing together. Callista watched her hands tremble coming to a conclusion that something was wrong.

"How am I to blame?" he questioned with an amused yet innocent smile.

Callista grunted, rolling into a sitting position, jabbing a finger accusingly at his direction. "If you hadn't come dashing in my quarters for my father last night, I wouldn't be here because I would've already owned up to him that I'm taking a whole different exam." Callista crossed her arms against her chest in a childish manner, allowing the silent exchange to pass between them. Major Byrne briskly walked back with a conflicted expression on her face. Her face was troubled as she drew nearer, revealing she was needed elsewhere.

"Cadet Baker, this is Callista Kane," the Major introduced quickly, glancing at her wrist band, averting her gaze purposely to avoid questions. "She needs stamina and strength training so you're in charge of her supervision while I go handle a situation." She addressed the life ruiner. With that, Major Byrne left and any hope Callista vanished with the Major. Callista accusingly pushed all the blame for her situation onto her new trainer. "Just great," she muttered, smacking her palm against her forehead at her foolishness.

"You're Marcus's kid?" The cadet asked hesitantly. His eyes were a smoldering brown color, leaving Callista struggling to catch her break as she tried to slyly take in the rest of his toned appearance with short shaggy hair that held similar slight curls to her own. She nodded wordlessly, unable to speak. He grinned knowingly, holding out his hand to help her stand. She stumbled clumsily, losing her balance from being weak at the knees.

"Sorry," she muttered, shifting her eyes nervously around facility that was beginning to fill up as the Ark started to thrive with its morning activity. "I should probably apologize for earlier, that wasn't very fair of me." She smiled meeting his friendly gaze as he released a deep laugh, throwing his head back.

"How did you manage to piss Major Byrne off?" He asked with a wide grin stretching from ear to ear as he guided Callista towards the exit causing her to frown. She glanced at him oddly in response before slowly going through the details of her early morning interruption. "Why are we leaving?"

"Do you honestly really want to stay in there?" Jared retaliated aware that the girl beside him had no desire to remain in the training room. "I doubt Major Byrne will be back anyways, she wouldn't have left you with me if you really needed this training." Callista's head perked up at such news, hope restoring her depleted energy. "She's no fool but she has an order to follow just like anybody else, but in the process of your honesty, you managed to be the first person to piss her off," he said laughing while clapping Callista on the back in a congratulatory way as it were an achievement to be proud of.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble?" Callista questioned. She couldn't understand why Jared would assist her escape particularly with the way she treated him for a situation he had nothing to do with except for appearing at the wrong time.

"I'm sure it won't matter once you talk to your father, right? You said you were planning to take a different exam, so I don't see why I would," he waved a hand dismissively at the concern laced in Callista's tone. "Besides, it's not a decision that will get me floated, so I'm not worried."

Callista clamped her mouth shut. She disagreed strongly. This cadet had a lot to learn if he thought that a small break in an order would go unnoticed by the Council. Callista came to a slow stop in the hallways with fear and worry for her newly acquainted friend. "You know, I have a physical part for my other exam that I'll need help with," she managed to say steadily, refusing to let him be punish for helping her.

Jared crossed his arms defiantly against his chest as he gave Callista a stern look that silently said he wasn't as dense as she had made him out to be. "Okay, look, my main concern is studying, let me fetch my journal from my room and I'll study in the training facility. I don't want you to be in trouble, and trust me when I say this, there's a possibility that you will." She voiced convincingly as he weighed the risk of her compromise. He nodded in agreement. "Fine, you call the shots, but I'm escorting you."

Callista had only a handful of friends on the Ark that she could count on one hand. She was relieved to see that she could easily befriend a guard member after offending him; even if his rank was the lowest in the chain of command. "It'll only take me a second," she murmured using her card key to unlock the door. "I also need to change, my abduction left me without the choice of a pair of decent trainers." Jared released another laugh with a retort that Callista must've really got beneath Byrne's skin.

Callista hastily changed into a simple pair of light grey compression tights. The stretchy material allowed for easy movement; the leggings only came a little below her knees in length. Callista figured it would give the appearance she was taking a break rather than avoiding training. She pulled on a random black tank top with slightly similar material from the drawers before slipping her feet into worn out sneakers that were kicked off beside of her nightstand.

She decided to study late last night with the journal until she fallen asleep. Callista thought the journal would've slipped in between the wall and crevice running the length of the mattress. Her face contorted with confusion when she turned up empty handed. She stood hastily to her feet troubled that her journal was missing. She glanced around the room again with searching eyes. Callista spotted her multicolored crocheted knapsack hanging from the hook near her bookshelf while she stood idly. She crossed her quarters, slipping her arms through the loopholes of the clothed straps securing it tightly against her shoulder blades. The familiar tanned hide book that Callista frantically searched for was resting undisturbed on the shelf of her book case.

"That's rather odd," she murmured, carefully turning the hardcover over in her hands, quickly flipping through the pages and examining the contents to find the notes undisturbed.

"You ready to go?" Jared asked, opening the door. "Yeah, I am," Callista said with a grin as she waved her journal, following his lead back towards the training room.

The bulk of her time studying was spent reading through the journal before Callista would test her ability to recall from her memory. It became rather tedious while trying to determine which sections she should focus on. Sinclair made no mention on what the exam would include, but Callista was determined to be fully prepared for any task he would assign. The training facility's level of activity increased since she left to retrieve her journal making the volume of distracting noises a lot louder than she expected; the disruption was too much for her to tune her surroundings out.

Jared finished his training session making his way over towards the corner Callista claimed as hers to refrain from obstructing the others training time. Callista could see him out of the corner of her eyes, trying to read her journal over her shoulders. "What exactly are you planning to pursue as your contribution?" he finally braved to ask, unable to decipher the words scribbled onto the weathered pages.

"Mechanics," Callista muttered. She turned the page revealing a complicated drawing with labels for the Ark's thrusters. The thrusters were the most important part to the survival of the Ark. It was the main component on stabilizing the slow-orbit around Earth for the colony. "Not just any regular mechanic job I take it," Jared exhaled with a low whistle after examining the drawing and shooting her a doubtful look. "A zero gravity mechanic?" he questioned with disbelief as she sighed heavily with frustration, closing her journal. "You do realize that's a pretty steep dream job, right?"

"Hence why I'm beyond irritated from being kidnapped from my quarters for the will of my father," she muttered with an eye roll. "My exam is in two days, and truthfully, this isn't working out studying in here when I can't stay focused." Callista stood to her feet, her hands brushing the back of her tights before collecting her bag and journal from the padded floor. "I really need to study in a quiet space."

Without another word exchanged, she spun on her heel, retreating from the cadet's presence. Callista's stomach growled hungrily in protest, reminding the lack of food intake she neglected to her nutrition over the past few days due to her stress. Her physical body was exhausted from today and needed food to regenerate the spent energy. Callista hurried towards Raven's quarters hoping Raven hadn't left for daily rations without her. Raven stepped out into the corridor closing her door behind her before glancing up and grinning upon seeing Callista. "Where the hell have you been all day, Callie?" Raven asked. Raven briefly glanced over her friend's disheveled appearance and abstained from commenting on the preference of wearing trainers.

"It's a long story. I'll explain over rations if you haven't received yours yet." Callista explained breathlessly as Raven shook her head leisurely in response. "No, I don't receive my rations," Raven admitted reluctantly. Callista paused in mid-step, casting a look of concern. "I've never told you," Raven whispered when Callista's face scrunched up in confusion from being unable to follow her friend's tormented expression. "Finn shares his rations with me because my mother buys moonshine with mine."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Callista's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. She couldn't grasp the concept of understanding why Raven's mother would be so self-fish by leaving her daughter without rations. "That will change when you turn eight-teen, right?" She asked.

"Supposedly, but hey, we all have skeletons in our closet, right Kane?" Raven joked to ease the tension of her misfortune causing Callista to grimace at the use of her last name. Callista didn't openly admit her relations. It wasn't out of shame. Marcus held quite a reputation within the colony; in fact, any kid with parents associated on the Council shouldered that burden. "I'm sure he's not that bad of a guy as he appears," Raven murmured seeing the contorted emotions coursing through her friend's posture, allowing her to follow Callie's thought process.

"He's really not," Callista managed to say before releasing a shaky breath. "I think that's why nobody tries to associate themselves with me."

"Stop being so over-dramatic," Raven muttered with a roll of her eyes before bumping her shoulder against Callie as they walked down the hall. "There is me and Finn, and even Soren. None of us are afraid of you." Raven listed confidently before jokingly adding, "You barely have a backbone. Speaking of which, have you told your father yet?"

Callie groaned, throwing her head back. "Remember that long story I was planning on telling you over rations," she spoke quickly, holding her hand up to deflect any of Raven's complaints. "You can have some of mine. Don't argue with me when it's already been decided," She reassured firmly, using the little backbone she possessed to prevent Raven from protesting any further.

Raven went to find a small booth in the back of the cafeteria for privacy while Callie retrieved her rations from the worker running the kitchen. Once seated, Callista divided her rations equally, passing Raven her half before she quickly began to devour her own. Callista shoveled small pieces into her mouth of the unsatisfying protein bar while Raven left hers untouched.

"Raven, I swear, if you don't start eating, I will shove it down your throat myself," Callie threatened with a mouthful of granola as Raven shot her a look of disbelief. Callie grinned sheepishly, gesturing with her free hand for Raven to eat. She took a drink from the cup hastily and squirmed under Raven's questioning gaze.

"You didn't tell him," she stated as Callie raised a finger in protest. "It's a long story, so eat and I'll tell you," Callista bargained with a grin. Raven groaned, shaking her head and muttering profanities under her breath before she started to eat.

Callista went into recapping her evening after Raven departed from her quarters. She declared how she had been kidnapped for her fathers will and tortured under Major Byrne's supervision before she was released to the Major's minion of ignorance who doubted Callie's skills for zero gravity mechanics. Raven's expression was distraught which caused an uncomfortable feeling for Callista. Raven hadn't even acknowledged or joked about Callie making a new friend. "Callista, you have to get him to cancel that exam retake," she said in a rush, her tone laced with worry. "If he registered you for the guard endurance exam, you won't be able to register for the zero gravity exams." Callista's heart felt like it momentarily stopped as she sat back in her chair, completely stunned. "You have to tell him, today," Raven stressed with importance.

"I can't just skip the guard exam and take my Zero-G without removing that registration?" Callie asked quietly as her eyes desperately searched Raven's face. "Do you realize if he forbids me from taking that exam that he's already won?" She whispered with a horrified realization that there was no hope. Her body slumped further down into the booth as the feeling of her loss washed through her. "There's no fucking way he'll let me take that exam."

* * *

Raven walked silently alongside Callista up the hall after rations. She allowed for Callie to thinking in peace as Callista tried to sort through her emotions. Everything that Callista was working so hard for was wasted if her father refused for her to choose her path in life. She was outraged that he decided what he thought would be best for her. He never paid any attention to her marks in Mecha class to see that she excelled above and beyond the class ranks. That was the choice of her trade class that revealed where Callista truly belonged.

"Callie, you have to try," Raven spoke finally. Callista nodded in agreement, "I know."

Callista departed from Raven's quarters in search of her father; the last time Callista glanced at the time, she assumed he had to be in his own quarters if he wasn't dealing with an incident or at a council meeting. She brushed her knuckles against the door, holding her breath while waiting with patience. After another set of knocks the door finally opened to reveal a disheveled Marcus. "Callista, what is it honey?" Kane asked upon seeing Callista's contorted face from being unable to contain the mixed emotions coursing through her body, ushering her inside for privacy.

"I need to finish my talk with you that I started last night. Dad, I don't want to go into the guard, it's not where I belong." She rambled nervously, her voice trembling with every word uttered. Her hands were in the air as Callista paced his living room unable to stay stationary. She couldn't bring herself to see the look of disappointment on his face that would etch itself forever in her mind, an image that would stay burned into her retinas until the end of time. Callie wrung her hands as she tried to summon up every ounce of courage she possessed to express herself. The words were there, but she found them stuck in her throat like caramel taffy. Tears watered behind her eyes, threatening to fall with a defeated cry.

"I just don't want to disappoint you," Callista whispered admittedly, sobbing softly. Marcus crossed the room, wrapping his arms tightly around his daughter securely before letting out a soft chuckle. He kissed the top of her auburn curls as he pushed Callie away with his hands resting on her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Callista, sweetheart," he started with a small smile, "You're not going to disappoint me if you pursue the Mecha station."

"What?" She half cried, tears still slipping silently down her face as she stared at my father with disbelief. "Ar-are you sa-saying what I think you're saying?" Callista asked stumbling over her words as quiet sobs continued to rack her body. "You knew?"

"Sinclair has had his eye on you, and Raven, since your class studies. He's consulted with me before highly recommending Mecha station because of your interests and before pushing you towards the Zero-G program." He explained, squeezing her shoulders as he grinned.

"What about the Guard?" Callie spoke softly with concern. "Why would you push me towards the Guard if you had known?"

"I can't explain my reasoning for that, kiddo," he mumbled, "Maybe I'll tell you if you pass the exam Friday. Truthfully, I wished you would've said something to me sooner, I was starting to think you were really going to go through with the endurance exam especially after my conversation with Major Byrne earlier."

Two words triggered the dread in Callie's stomach as she reminisced why she desperately needed to confess to her father. "Dad, you have to cancel that registration," her words were rushed together. "They won't let me-"

"Callista, I've registered you for the Zero-G exam, easy kiddo," he laughed again. "So much like your mother," he hummed, kissing her head again to ease his daughter's anxiousness. "Let's see that journal of yours."

She dug through her knapsack, providing the journal. Marcus smoothed the surface of the leather bound journal with his hand, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His finger absentmindedly traced the branches that extended across the width of the leather. "I didn't think you would ever use this." He finally said after gazing at it in silence, recollecting forgotten memories. "I've always seen it stationed on your shelf, untouched until last night."

"You've looked at it recently too, haven't you?" Callie asked, already knowing he already seen the tattered pages of barely legible scribbled notes. That's why she found it on the book case.

"Callista, you've always been too afraid to destroy its pages with words or drawings so you left it untouched for so many years since she died," Marcus said quietly. "Zero gravity must be important to you if you've finally decided to use her journal," he spoke softly in justification for invading her privacy.

Tears burned behind her eyes, threatening to fall as every word he spoke was the truth. Her mother treasured that journal with its blank pages. Callista felt like she ruined the leather bound journal but knew her mother wanted her to use it purposefully. "It is," Callista whispered hoarsely in agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

Callista shifted her weight as she leaned against the steel wall while waiting patiently for her identification to be approved to enter the prison station. Even though she was up early enough to evade waiting in queue, Callie remained immobile against a wall staring at the backs of various heads for the majority of the morning. The system bugged earlier resulting in a mass amount of protesting complaints of aggravation from the queue. This caused a delay for verification while the cadet worked profusely in fear that the queue would riot if the station decided to postpone the scheduled visitation. "Callista Kane?" a deep voice called causing Callie to respond by advancing towards the guard with no hesitation and impatient anticipation.

"McKenzie?" he grunted distastefully without any regards to Callista as she glowered beside of him with repugnance. Callista bit her tongue while she walked alongside the guard in complete silence while securing her returned ID card to her lanyard. She waited stubbornly to visit Soren. She refused to skip this week's visitation and she'd be damned if she got thrown out because she opened her mouth to defend her friend.

The prison cells were stacked from the ground floor to the ceiling of the station enfolding the walls of the immense station. Each cell held a pane of reinforced glass eliminating any rights to privacy while restricting any chance of escape. Her steps echoed of off the metal as she used the iron stairs to elevate past the next few levels. Soren was located on the fourth level clear towards the back of the hall.

Callista's stomach churned with unease as she glanced over the white railings towards the ground floor, the urge to hurl its contents of her morning rations onto those who conversed below. As many times as Callie visited the prison station, she could barely get over the height of Soren's level. The guard came to slow stop in front of Soren's cell. He looked over his shoulder at Callista commanding silently with his eyes for her to draw back.

Callista took steps back recoiling alongside of another prisoner's cell. She skimmed over the vacant room with curiosity. It only held a bed pushed against the far side of the wall. She was taken aback when she met a pair of guarded dark eyes. A slight smirk pulled at the corners of his lips of amusement when he seen her startled reaction. She forced an apologetic smile as she felt guilty for her prying eyes. He gave a curt nod of acknowledgement of acceptance before averting his gaze to the solid floor, his shaggy brown hair concealing his angular face away from her curiosity.

"Prisoner 122, you got a visitor," the guards rough voice grabbed Callista's attention. She leaned forward stretching her neck to peer into the cell. Callista watched as the guard thoroughly patted Soren's small frame over to make sure she wasn't in any possession of any concealed items. Soren's face was contorted in annoyance as his hands lingered longer than they should have causing Callista to grimace at her friend's discomfort.

"You guys don't let us have anything but bedding, clothes, and food. We have to be escorted daily for showers and latrine usage. What might I possibly be hiding to take Callie Kane as hostage for my conspired escape?" Soren remarked sarcastically. She grunted in response as the guard forcibly shoved her petite body against the wall while elbowing her in the ribcage. Callista flinched appalled as her guilt began to consume her.

The guard sneered, "You're getting braver each day you near your expiration date." His words dripped with venomous rage. Callista gasped alerting the guard she heard the exchange of words. Tears burned behind Callie's eyes as she crossed her arms tightly against her chest to hold herself together. Soren didn't deserve to be here. This was her fault. "Better shut up before you lose the small privilege you've been granted." The threat was meant for both girls.

Callista distracted her attention by meeting those dark eyes. His sharp face was hard with resentment and eyes were cold with hatred. She winced as she felt how he regarded her presence. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she couldn't apprehend why he loathed her. The guard guided Soren by her elbows at a quick pace past Callista. Callie didn't need a verbalized order to follow along. She hurriedly took her place behind the two figures, retreating as far as she could from that prisoner's cell. Once they reached the ground floor, Soren's cuffs were hastily removed and the guard vacated the area, leaving them with the rest of the visitation crowd.

Callie's arms were still wrapped around her body tightly trying to ignore Soren's inquiring eyes as she recollected herself. "Quit feeling so damn guilty," Soren recognized after a few minutes of observing her shaken friend. "This isn't your fault."

"The cause of it is my fault," Callie debated, gesturing for Soren to follow her towards the benches furthest away from the observation office. "I hate that you get treated like you've murdered somebody," she spoke bitterly with a frown.

"Well, for all they know, maybe I am one." Soren joked trying to ease Callie's worries. Callista didn't offer a laugh at the lame attempt, choosing to sulk. "Callista, it's going to be okay," Soren spoke with reassurance.

"How can you say that?" Callie's voice raised an octave as the tears burned behind her eyes threatening to fall. Soren clenched her jaw, averting her gaze towards the cells above, wishing that they didn't have to go through this every visitation. If their situations were switched, she'd probably share similar harbored feelings. "I'm scared," Callie admitted lowly. She didn't voice her complete fear of never seeing Soren outside of the prison station; Soren was conscious of her unspoken thoughts. Neither had ever heard of any prisoner locked in the Skybox walking out with their freedom within the colony.

"Callie, you don't get to blame yourself," Soren mumbled, glancing back over at Callie. "It was my own idea and decision for what I did. It sucks that I got caught but I'm okay with that. You want to know why?" Callie dejectedly shrugged with no response. "You would've done the same thing for me."

Callista snorted, shaking her head furiously. Negative thoughts plagued her thoughts and destroyed her confidence. She didn't deserve to pass her exam tomorrow; not when she deserved to be locked in the prison station. Her lips pulled into a frown as her eyebrows furrowed together. "The exam is tomorrow," she redirected the conversation while glancing over at Soren. She couldn't change Soren being imprisoned. She could at least offer a diversion and make it appear like they had met up over rations to converse about their day. Soren nodded, "I'm surprised you're even here." Soren sighed heavily, tilting her head as to silently demand why Callie came.

"Finn commanded that if we didn't take a break from studying we would overload and fry our brains before we could use the information." Callista exaggerated, throwing her hands up as she rolled her eyes. "Besides, I promised I'd never miss a visit." She softly spoke with seriousness.

"Visitation is the one thing I have to look forward to but another year of this place makes my skin crawl. I can't even imagine being on the fifth level on isolation." Soren hummed with appreciation but she was visibly bothered with the remaining time she had left.

"Fourth's isolation too," Callie reminded her quietly staring at the ground while pressing her lips together refraining from scolding Soren about being impatient for her review. Soren had only been in the prison station for four months. The majority of her time she was isolated in her cell with exceptions of facility usage. "I don't understand why theft is considered such a threat to the damn council," Callie muttered under her breath as she felt Soren watching her again.

"It was valuable, that's why." Soren remarked wittingly silencing Callie. Troubled thoughts heavily weighed down on Callie's mind. Regardless of Soren's choices, if it weren't for being Callie's friend, she wouldn't be locked up. Soren noticed more stress creases forming on Callie's forehead. "You're going to pass Callie, I know it." Soren grinned, squeezing Callie's shoulder confidently.

An idea occurred to Callie as her eyes drifted away from Soren's attentive gaze. Maybe if she returned what was stolen, Soren would be released. A witness speculated that Soren stolen the valuable property but there was no physical evidence to prove that Soren was guilty of the crime. The Council would be at fault and would have to release Soren.

Callie nodded, a small smile of appreciation forming on her lips. "Yeah, I'll become a zero gravity mechanic and everything's going to be alright once that happens, I promise." The prison station wouldn't be the last place on the Ark that Soren would call home. Callista's determination strengthened as she strategized a plan to free Soren.


	4. Chapter 4

The eternal pause crept by the longer Callista gazed at the thick stack of stapled papers. She contemplated whether she should review the essay questions individually while revising her detailed explanations or leaving it. She hadn't realized that it would be difficult to clarify actions that she could easily do with her hands. Sinclair decided the best way to assess their capability in mechanics was to be done by pushing them outside their comfort zone to demonstrate with words. She pulled at her auburn curls, straightening them while anxiously glancing around the small cubicle that she was contained in for her examination. Other than the desk she occupied, there was a small clock on the wall revealing that her time was almost over. She left the original answers, knowing she'd second guess herself and make an error. Callie sighed heavily, leaning back in the chair while she waited for Sinclair to retrieve her.

"Time's up," Sinclair announced through the intercom after a while passed. The tempered glass slide open to release Callista from her assessment processing. She smiled confidently, handing him the endless sheets of papers. "I'll let you know by Monday," he assured her. He gestured for her to depart from the Mecha station. "Then, we'll proceed onto the next part."

Callie froze in mid-step towards the exit, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes. "The next part?" she wheezed. The anxiousness of the written exam left her mentally drained. She hadn't been aware that there were more steps she had to advance through to secure her future. Sinclair chuckled, "It's just a physical, that's all Kane."

Callie leaned her head back and released an exasperated sigh. "Jeez Sinclair, there's no need to frighten me." She muttered, running a hand through her curls. The last four months were enough torture examining books that came at a high price. "I'm sure you did well Callista, rest easy kid," Sinclair advised before heading towards the next cubicle.

Raven emerged, handing her exam over. Her eyes were bright with sureness but the sweat beads littering her forehead revealed that the written exam also strained her ability as well. She exchanged brief words with Sinclair. Her face contorted with slight anxiousness before easing after Sinclair assured her that it was just a physical.

"Well, that was certainly not what we expected." Raven muttered under her breath once she caught up to Callie in the main hall. Callista nodded, biting her lip as she wondered if she passed the test. "I think I would've felt better if it was a model of one of the thrusters or something," Callie admitted embarrassedly, "I almost changed my answers, but I'm sure if I would've made a blunder."

"I hope all that cramming paid off, I'm ready to celebrate." Raven declared as Callie chuckled while bobbing her head enthusiastically in agreement. A celebration would be a refresher. Raven sighed, furrowing her brows together before casting Callie a side glance. Raven didn't want to be a killjoy but Callista needed to hear her opinion on their morning discussion over rations. "So, about that plan of yours," Raven started, pushing all joking aside, "I think it's a bad idea."

"She doesn't deserve to be there Raven," Callie disputed. She lowered her voice as two guards passed them. "I need the books back so I can return them."

"How do you plan on doing that anyways?" Raven retorted, frowning. They stopped outside of the cafeteria doors, refraining from entering. "Returning them won't be a problem but revealing that the Council made a mistake based off of false accusations, that's going to cause a huge ordeal."

Callista lowered her head as her shoulders sank with defeat. "You're right, is that what you wanted to hear?" She spoke dejectedly, averting her gaze to the floor. She resented that Raven was right. If the Council was accused of being wrong, then the colony would question every child's detainment. "She doesn't deserve to be there and I don't deserve to be here."

Raven's hands clamped down on Callie's shoulders compelling Callista to meet her soft brown eyes. "You didn't ask her to steal. I don't think she deserves to be there either but you don't get to shoulder the guilt and feel at fault." Raven pursed her lips tightly together, pushing away from Callie to go search for an unoccupied table. She feared that she had said something that would upset Callie, but knew it needed to be voiced. Raven couldn't fathom how Callista bore the guilt, let alone deal with the pressure of the exam. She wondered if Callie thought any differently towards her since she hadn't shown any remorse for the evident situation.

Callista divided the rations, passing the separated provisions to Raven. Callista kept her stare focused on the untouched protein bar and away from the vigilance gaze of Raven. She squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "Callie, you can try, but what if they don't release her just to avoid admitting they made a mistake? Then, it would be a futile attempt." Raven reasoned as Callista released a heavy sigh. As much as she wanted to disagree, Callie knew that was a strong possibility. "Soren wouldn't want you to attempt this."

Callista frowned, her lips pressed together as she refrained from causing a commotion. Raven may have speculated logical insights but she was mistaken about Soren. "If our situations were different, you can't tell me that Soren wouldn't try to return those books," Callista concluded, glancing up at Raven. "I'm going to try. She made an effort for the both of us."

Raven groaned, shoving her face into the palms of her hands as she muttered incoherent words. "Fine," she mumbled, straightening in the booth while leaning over the table with a hushed tone, "We'll try it but we won't attract unnecessary attention to ourselves." Callista raised her eyebrows, waiting for Raven to continue. "We'll return the books but keep our lips sealed. Soren has a year left in the Skybox. There's bound to be an engineer that stumbles across them making it seem like they were misplaced."

"That sounds like a concrete plan," Callista murmured thoughtfully, nodding her head in agreement. "It's better than conveniently discovering the books and parading my way to the chambers." Callista paused, giving it more thought. "I mean, it would look extremely suspicious especially if we both passed the exam." They both laughed, easing the tension that built up at the heated discussion. "This is definitely a better plan than yours," Raven resolved, snickering behind her hand as Callista rolled her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

_She had done it_. Pride radiated from Marcus's composure as a grin stretched across his face. He couldn't contain the gratitude of being blessed with such a gifted child. These were the moments that Freya would never experience, even if she were still alive. "I just thought you'd want to know before I congratulated her myself," Sinclair declared. "She hasn't turned eighteen yet and I'm required by regulations to inform you beforehand."

"Thank you," Kane genuinely replied. If it weren't for Sinclair constantly pestering him, he would've never considered Callie's skills for tinkering with tools and engines. She would tear her toys apart when she was younger but he hadn't ever imagined her pursuing an ambition to spacewalk while restoring the Ark's working components. While he couldn't imagine it, she was able to achieve her very own dream. "Thank you for everything you've done for her."

"Kane, being a single parent is tough, especially when the kid is strong spirited as Callie is, but you've done a fine job with her while making tough decisions for the Colony. Freya would be proud of the woman Callie's becoming."

The small wrist bane buzzed against his skin, causing a slight crease in his forehead. "Duty calls," Marcus murmured in disappointment. He wanted to provide a commemorative dinner with Callie within his own quarters. "Thanks again Sinclair, I cannot wait to see where she goes." Both men chuckled with pride. Sinclair always kept an eye out for Raven, helping guide her when she had nobody else other than a boy she loved. If work wasn't too time consuming, he intended to prepare a celebratory meal and invite Raven over. "What about Raven?"

A shadow fell across Sinclair's face as he shook his head. "She passed the exam with perfect marks." He explained quietly. His voice was thick with despair by the fact that Raven hadn't passed the zero-gravity program. It wasn't her fault that her own body betrayed her. "Unfortunately, her physical wasn't substantial to the Council's requirements." He let out a breath of air, meeting Kane's eyes. "She's going to be shattered but she can continue a high role in the Mecha station, just not the position she aimed for."

Marcus furrowed his eyebrows together at the severe news, forgetting the importance of the com call. "Callie won't accept the position if that's the case, she wouldn't want to upset Raven-" Sinclair cut him off with a small shake of his head.

"No, Raven wouldn't allow for it, you don't know those girls as well as I do Kane." Sinclair chuckled softly. Raven kept Callie motivated with their passion; that's what started their friendship. The two of them working together were unstoppable. "As much as a devastation that it'll be to Raven, she would be insulted if Callie turns it away. The Council wouldn't stand for a denied position either."

Marcus's wrist band buzzed aggressively, his fingers quickly answering it but muting the call to avoid being rude. Sinclair noticed the movements and Marcus gave an apologetic smile. "Anyways, I need to go continue my parental advisories before breaking the news to the kids." Sinclair dismissed himself by continuing down the halls.

Marcus unmuted the call, enabling his earpiece. "Sir, are you able to talk now?" Major Byrne's irritated voice crackled into his ear piece as he grimaced before reluctantly agreeing. "We have a situation in the prison station. I'll brief you on your way over."

* * *

Soren sat within the interrogation room with a hardened scowl plastered against her face. She couldn't believe that they hauled her from her cell when it was evident that she was the victim. She hoped that the Council wanted to hear her side of the story but that hope diminished as her gaze returned to her bounded bloodied wrists. She shouldn't be surprised since she found herself locked in the skybox due to an indictment with no concrete evidence four months prior.

"How longer are you going to make me wait when I didn't do anything wrong?" she shouted at the walls, knowing that an official was nearby guarding her until a council member would arrive to question her motives-her quick actions for defense. The metallic taste of iron still lingered in her mouth, reminding her how her sanity would be questioned as a delirious raving delinquent. She secretly hoped Marcus would be the one debriefing the situation. Marcus was the only one that fought for her well-being on the inside. He'd know that it was purely out of self-defense. Soren didn't doubt that for an instance.

Major Byrne entered the room with a matching scowl. Her arms were crossed tightly against her chest as she stood above Soren as to intimidate her. Her fierce gaze flickered towards the glass on the opposite side of the room before she lowered her voice. "Be quiet or they'll bring in a muzzle which I strongly advised against," she muttered softly as Soren flinched with surprise. The tone of Byrne's voice did not match the appearance of her furious scowl or her cold pale blue eyes. "I called Marcus, he's on his way."

Soren frowned sideways at Byrne, silently wondering why she'd request the one person that would defend her. Gossip always traveled amongst the guards as they patrolled the skybox's balconies. Major Byrne was rumored to be ruthless and unforgiving. Yet she was helping Soren with a soft regards. "Thank you," she whispered in gratitude, bowing her head to hide her appreciative smile from prying eyes behind the two way moderated glass.

The door opened again as Marcus nodded to Byrne. "Empty the glass," he muttered under his breath as she passed him swiftly. He stood with his back against the glass as he waited for the Major to clear out the room behind him. Three knocks against the glass signaled him to converse with Soren freely. "Soren, I need to hear your side of the story, we only have limited time." Marcus rushed with a concerned gaze. His brown eyes studied her white shirt spattered in crimson; her whole body was covered in the blood. He clenched his jaw. From his understanding, Major Byrnes held no regards for the guard in the infirmary.

"This asshole decided to go through the standard routine of checking me for any illegal items. I'm not obliged to be checked for weapons, as long as they don't have any ideas about it other than it being their job, but this guy was a self-righteous pedophile who gets off on attacking teenage prisoners on a regular basis. He does this every time when the isolation levels are deprived from anything other than their bed. Today, he thought because his partner was occupied assisting my neighbor, that he could get away with more than a pat down." Soren didn't hold back from revealing the facts. The guard relayed a different story but Marcus knew her well enough to know when the kid was lying. If any other council member debriefed her, they would've taken physical action against her snarky comments.

"What about the blood Soren, where did the blood come from?" He needed to hear the whole incident before the rest of the council. They were currently showing remorse at medical, inquiring about the incident. Jaha already prevented Marcus from inhibiting Soren from detainment; he didn't even consult with the rest of the Council while having Soren apprehended. He proclaimed that Soren attempted to sabotage the colony so he had to make a quick decision. Jaha elucidated she stole vital information related to the Ark's survival, whether she attempted to act out sabotage or withhold the information, Soren became a threat to the Colony.

"I resisted against him. The struggle gave me the upper hand though I was pinned to the wall. His arm was closer to my mouth, so I bit him." Soren shuddered, recalling the occurrence as if it were still happening. The feeling of his calloused hand against her bare skin underneath her waistband made her stomach bilious. She hung her head to blink the tears building up behind her eyes. She just couldn't let it happen. She had no other choice other than to react and fight.

Marcus stiffened at her survival instinct. "Bit him?" He repeated slowly as to be sure he heard her correctly. Soren nodded impassively. She buried her teeth into his arm enough to draw blood but Soren done more than just bit him. She removed a whole portion of the skin from his forearm. "Okay, you didn't leave your cell though, right?"

"I just sat on my mattress." She admitted meekly. Her soft blue eyes were distraught from the incident bringing the faint hues of greys to surface. She must've sounded demented to Marcus but the concern he regarded her assured that she hadn't done any wrong doing. "Why would I have left my cell and risked being manhandled again by one of his friends? Christ, what kind of training do these pieces of shit go through, anyways?" She asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes. "Grouping 101? No wonder Callie would rather work for mecca stat-shit."

Marcus studied Soren's distressed expression with her lips pressed tightly together. He knew Callie informed her but the way Soren reacted, she revealed too much. The guilt was plastered all over her face. Marcus exhaled the breath of air burning in his lungs as he recollected thoughts.

The journal Callie recorded her study notes wasn't comprehensive information easily available to the colony. Marcus knew that when he read her journal, but refused to acknowledge the words and explanations that were detailed amongst the pages. "The vital information that Jaha claimed you stole, what was it Soren?"

Soren hadn't thought about what she said before it slipped out of her mouth. Marcus was intelligent not to be naïve. She was more surprised it had taken him this long to piece together what truly happened. "Did she pass?" Soren retorted, bringing her guilty gaze to meet his inquisitive judgment.

"Yes," he whispered softly, lowering his own eyes to the floor as he realized Soren hadn't sabotaged the Ark. He never believed Jaha sack of lies the moment he announced Soren's sentence but whatever she stole had never been returned. Diana speculated that she could've sold the books to the black market on board. Diana and Jaha were both wrong. She had risked her life for a purpose to help. "Soren, where are the books?"

"I don't know Marcus." Soren's eyebrow twitched, silently assuring Kane that his assumptions were correct; both aware that she was lying through her teeth. Soren wouldn't give either up. Just like Callie wouldn't refuse the job. The dedication that they devoted to their friendship made them more than friends, they were sisters.

Marcus smiled grateful for the support Callie had around her other than him. If he hadn't been pushing so hard for her to join the guard, then Callie would've felt comfortable asking him for a favor. He thought he was doing the right thing. Freya insisted Callie needed to belong to the guard. "Okay, I believe you Soren," he murmured thoughtfully, referring back towards the current situation and refraining from elaborating on her past. "I can't guarantee the Council will when they appear to interrogate you though."

"What more can they do Kane?" Soren hysterically laughed. She averted her eyes, shaking her head causing the loose strands of her light blonde hair to fall from her braid. "They've already sentenced me a promised death. The worst they could do is prevent you and Callie from bringing me food coloring. The strands already look like they're green from fading, you should probably bring more soon if that happens." She paused thoughtfully, snickering behind her hand. "In fact, you might want to use some yourself to cover your gray ass hair. There's a strand of silver for every time Callie has rolled her eyes at you."

"Make sure you keep your sass in check while I'm gone or I might conveniently forget to drop some off at your skybox." Marcus warned with a pointed gaze on his way out. "Byrnes, get her a fresh damn set of clothes and clean her up. Nobody enters that room until I'm back."


	6. Chapter 6

Callie sprinted through the corridors carefully weaving through the traffic of the crowd heading home from their professions. Eagerness fueled her strides. She shouldered her way through a conversing group who muttered rude obscenities after her passing. She slowed her pace near the Mecha station. A wide grin stretched across her face as she made a quick detour. She knocked breathlessly against the steel door. "Raven," She hollered through the thick metal ducking her head at the few of those who peered at with curiosity. "Come on Ray, open the door!"

Raven closed her eyes, letting the tears slip silently down her cheeks as she kept her back pressed against the door. Her knees were drawn up to her chest with her arms secured around them. Callie persistently knocked, unsure if Raven was even home for the day. Raven swallowed the lump in her throat as a sob threaten to surface. She pressed her face against her legs in an attempt to stifle the cry. She couldn't face Callie. Not like this.

 _"You have a heart murmur Reyes," Sinclair revealed. His face matched her devastated disappointment as his words processed through her head. He gripped her shoulder consolingly before pulling her against his chest tightly. "I'm sorry kid."_

More tears rolled down her cheeks as her body shuddered with uncontrollable sobs. Everything she had worked for was a wasted attempt. She had nothing else. Raven drew a shuddering breath as she listened for the knocks that fell silent. A sigh of relief escape Raven's lips, knowing Callie was gone.

* * *

Marcus ran his soapy hands under the water, his fingers scrubbing the surface thoroughly. Jenkins hadn't expected Kane to greet him in such an unpleasant way. Kane caught him off guard. Dan's eyes widened with shocked after he straightened up against the medical bed only to be knocked back by another furious punch. It was highly unprofessional but he felt like Soren had been justified. He was a bit worried about what the Council would think of the new bruises on Jenkins face but Kane wasn't too concerned about any accusatory claims of him being the cause. He'd doubt the Council would push for an investigation considering Jenkins acted out of line. The only thing that made him apprehensive was whether if Jenkins could keep his mouth shut. Kane snorted, dismissing such a thought. Jenkins wouldn't say a word. Byrnes would make sure of it.

"Dad?" Callie called out hesitantly, appearing around the corner of the kitchen. Her eyes zeroed in on his hands being cleansed. Her lips thinned while being pressed together. "I knocked but you didn't answer, so I figured I'd let myself in and wait for you," she trailed off, frowning further. Callie was aware of the change happening around the Ark, but why was Marcus washing away what looked to be blood? Was there an accident? Had he resorted to physical force?

"Sorry about that, I cut myself trying to prepare dinner," Marcus lied fluently. Callie didn't question him. She watched him carefully calculating his expression as he avoided his eyes. He grabbed a cut cloth that was resting against the flat surface, wrapping it around his finger in an act. "I got to grab a bandage," He hollered over his shoulder. He stepped into an alcove on the side serving as a latrine, quickly rummaging through the cupboard. His hands brushed against the roll of cloth. He unrolled a length, feebly wrapping a piece of cloth over his finger while securing it with a pin.

"What are you making," she asked, curiously glancing around, seeing the few perks Council members had over the rest of the colony. The quarters were considerably large with other nooks while each main chamber held a small kitchenette. She grimaced slightly, remembering these luxuries were among the reasons why she left.

"Well, I was thinking of something simple yet delicious, like some baked caprese if you're interested?" Marcus spoke softly, knowing that Callie loved anything with fresh tomatoes. Callie grinned, any suspiciousness eased as her stomach grumbled with a new found appreciation. Protein bars were her basic rations of choice. She didn't bother to go to the cafeteria with crowded tables during scheduled nourishment intervals.

While they prepped their quick dinner, she found herself enjoying the time spent with Marcus. It wasn't often they'd engage in such a simple activity together; even when she was living with him. She would be chasing him down between meetings or finding him asleep in his office. She was always in solitude when she stayed with him, so it was time to move out and take on a roommate. It felt strange as they made jokes and discussed their week but she found herself missing these moments with her father.

"So, anything different today," Callie asked innocently while watching Marcus placing the pan of multiple sliced tomatoes covered in basil, synthetic cheese, and garlic into the stove. She assisted him with cleaning the countertops, wiping them with a rag as he gathered the dishes to wash.

"Nothing out of the normal," he dismissed briefly. He knew that she hadn't bought his story with the cutting board. He didn't expect her too. Callista was his child after all, but he at least thought she'd leave it with the pathetic excuse provided. He frowned, cleansing the blade carefully as he thought about the next visitation. Callie would want to see Soren to relay her exam results. The last he heard of the situation was Soren lost visitation rights until a decree had been further arranged. Visitation was a week away but knew Callie would have full intent on making that day.

"So," Callie stalled as Marcus dried his hands on a towel. Her eyes focused on the finger he bandaged, not seeing any blood stains. He was choosing on not elaborating for her sake. She sighed before deciding to shift the conversation onto a more positive aspect instead of wondering where the blood originated from. "I passed my exams."

He beamed proudly, engulfing his arms around Callie as he hugged her tightly to his chest. He lifted her from the ground and spun her around as she laughed contagiously allowing Marcus to release his own chuckle. Callie stepped back with a content smile plastered on her own face after he placed her back on the ground. The stress and wrinkles that had been aging her father's face smoothed with his pride shining through his lightened brown eyes. This was what she wanted all along.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered, pulling her back against him as he kissed the top of her curls. He closed his eyes with a relaxed sigh. Even though he already knew that she would pass and even knew beforehand the results, he still found himself in disbelief to be blessed with such a child. "Freya would be just as proud."

"You think so?" Callie asked, looking up with uncertainty in her vibrant green eyes. Marcus smiled, nodding as he brushed the strands of auburn strays behind her ear. "I wish I would've been able to know her."

"You look more and more like her every day," he murmured admiringly. If Callie knew her own mother, she'd never have the opportunity to pursue the Mecha station. Freya would've made sure of that. Marcus had no intentions on enlightening Freya's will to Callie. Callie may have been a spitting image of her mother but she was nothing like her; Callie took after her father in that aspect.

Callie found herself in seclusion of her room after dinner, staring abstractedly out the window admiring the endless dark space in front of her. She imagined herself out there floating on multiple occasions, even daydreamed through her classes. Callie couldn't wait to be nearby the exterior of the Ark, amending its functionalities. The thought of freedom to defy gravity left her breathless.

Her eyes shifted beyond towards the Earth. She was always been peering out of the window longingly for years and the view of the Earth never failed to impress her. The colony had been surviving aboard the Ark for almost ninety six years with a promise of hope to return to the surface of Earth someday. It was rumored in their history lessons, that the scientists back then predicted at least a hundred years before any surface exposed to radiation would be safe again. How true were those predictions? She wondered if the Council would consider testing the surface after a hundred years passed. She'd love to see the day they'd return to the surface but until then, she'd enjoy her freedom defying gravity spacewalking.

* * *

"Raven, please," Callie called through the door. She hadn't been able to engage with Raven since she received her results, but Callie was certain Raven was intentionally avoiding her. Her balled up hands beat against the frame repeatedly, refusing to give up and walk away. "I swear, I will bring the guards back and force this damn door open if you won't do it willingly. I'm sure Major Byrnes would love to have the spawn of Satan requesting a favor."

The door came open effortlessly. Raven knew the lengths Callie would go and her words weren't empty threats. "You'd pester Byrnes for me," Raven asked sheepishly with a meager smile that didn't reach her eyes. She crossed her arms against her chest. "How endearing." Raven forced a laugh to make her sarcasm seem harmless.

"What the hell is going on?" Callie initiated after she stepped inside the confined compartment. Her nose scrunched up catching the familiar burning scent-that stench perfumed her father's breath on occasion. "I wasn't able to wish you a belated birthday since I went to Soren's visitation." Callie spoke flatly. She raised her eyebrows in an accusatory way, her eyes narrowed as she recognized the smell of moonshine.

Raven steadied her posture on a nearby chair as she snorted at Callie's confrontation. Of course she'd grow a backbone after declaring her ambitions to Marcus. Maybe Soren and Raven's antics finally reformed the naïve behaving nature after all. "What are you talking about Kane," she muttered, staggering towards her makeshift mattress. Raven eyed the distance wearingly but refused to ask Callie for help. Raven's body swayed, aiming for her mattress.

Callie reacted fast, seeing that Raven was about to drop to the ground. "I'm talking about the fact that you're three sheets to the wind," she hissed angrily, clutching Raven's elbow to prevent her from falling on her face. "You don't ever drink." She scolded while Raven used Callie's lanky frame to help guide herself onto the mattress. Callie crossed her arms against her chest while staring at Raven with disbelief.

Raven lay there, staring at Callie's angered expression, sprouts of giggles bubbling to her lips as she couldn't contain herself anymore. "You look angry, as red as a tomato," she pointedly stated the obvious as Callie's jaw slacked in immediate response.

"Really?" Callie murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose while shaking her head. "I wasn't aware." Raven flinched at Callie's sarcasm, not use to hearing a direct tone towards her. Her gasping giggles ceased as Raven supported herself on one arm, leaning forward to get a clearer vision of Callista. "What's going on?" Callie repeated softly with creased brows, the concern evident upon her frowning face.

Raven sighed, falling back onto the mattress while staring at the ceiling in contemplation. She couldn't find the right words to explain to Callie why she indulged in her mother's cabinets. The alcohol helped eased the despair that overridden her senses earlier. She turned her head sideways at Callie, forcing a small smile. "I passed the exam with a perfect score," she declared. The words tumbled so easily out of her mouth, easier than she anticipated. Callie's face lightened up at the results but logic reasoned that Raven hadn't drunk herself in a stupor in a celebratory way. "But I failed my physical." Raven grunted, deterring her gaze towards her hands that were folded on her chest. She wiggled her fingers, examining the grease lines traveling from her palms to her tips of her calloused fingers.

Callie sank onto the mattress at Raven's feet, glancing up at her sideways. "You failed your physical," she repeated softly. Her eyes studied Raven's body. Raven hadn't spoken of any medical conditions she wasn't aware of. In fact, Raven seemed perfectly healthy considering she missed a substantial amount of proper nutrition. "I don't understand," She dared to ask, penetrating Raven with her inquisitive eyes. "How?"

"I have a heart murmur. I asked Abby about it. She explained it could be multiple causes from anemia, high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, or even a problem with a heart valve. She offered to run tests." Raven explained, shrugging. It wasn't like those tests would do anything but strengthen Sinclair's resolve. "It's not an uncommon thing but it's an exception when you're determined to be a zero gravity mechanic apparently."

"Seriously," Callista responded with a baffled expression. She couldn't wrap her head around it. "A heart murmur is why you can't become a mechanic, even with a perfect score?"

"Yup," Raven retorted, her lips drawn in a slight frown. She pushed herself into a sitting position, pulling her legs under her. "Sinclair promised me a high position in the Mecha station though." She added thoughtfully. It wasn't a complete waste of her time studying relentlessly. It was unfortunate that her body hadn't proven to be up to par with the regulations.

"It's not the same though," Callie muttered dejectedly. Her hands balled up on her lap, her knuckles turning white. "I can't do this without you."

"Of course you can!" Raven exclaimed, seething at the lack of confidence seeping from Callista. "If you weren't able to do it, you wouldn't have been able to pass the exam in the first place!" She chastised with narrowed eyes.

"Raven, I won't do this without you," Callie corrected, crossing her arms against her chest. "What if I fuck up? What if we lack resources to a part and can't think of a hurried response to rig it before we try to wield it? What if-"

Raven impulsively shoved Callista off the bed silencing her frantic anxiety. Callie's head hit against the grating roughly causing her to wince at the immediate pain. A groan escaped her lips as she rolled over onto her side and pushed herself up. "You don't get to have those doubtful thoughts when I know you have the same quick wit about you as I do." Raven fumed, her brown eyes narrowed as tears burned behind her eyes. "You don't need me Callie for your competence. You've only ever needed me as a friend." Raven whispered her vision blurring as she released a soundless sob.

Callie crawled back onto the mattress seizing Raven into an embrace. She hadn't meant to upset Raven further. She didn't want to make it about herself or her own ability. That wasn't ever her intentions. "It's not that I lack confidence Raven, it just won't feel right without you there with me," she confessed quietly. "We're a team, Reyes."

"I know," she spoke softly hiding her face in Callie's shoulder. "That won't ever change."

"You swear?" Callista asked gently with a sympathetic look. Raven pulled away from Callie's hold, rolling her eyes.

"I swear," She promised through the tears, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Good," Callie breathed a sigh of relief. Raven wasn't easily discouraged. Callista knew that she'd find a way to persuade Sinclair. She wouldn't allow a heart murmur to waste her intelligence and skills in mechanisms. When there's a will, there's a way.


	7. Chapter 7

The horrible uneasy feeling settled in Callista's stomach as she stared at Raven with shocked eyes. Callista was convinced that she was trapped in a night terror, not being able to believe a word Raven had spoken. "What?" Her words sputtered as she felt her breath being deprived from her lungs from the hysteria. She reached out and grasped the side of the wall desperately as her knees weakened beneath her. This wasn't happening. Not again. "How did that even happen?" Callie rasped as Raven recoiled at from her tone, guilt washed through Raven as she averted her gaze.

"Callie." Raven brought her knees up to her chin. "He didn't do anything wrong," she whispered in a soft voice. Raven finally understood the weight that Callie carried on her shoulders. It hadn't been her idea, but she could've prevented the situation. She had a choice. Raven laid her head against her legs, staring at Callie. "How do you keep on going about knowing that Soren is locked up because of you?" she asked straight forwardly causing Callie to flinch at her deflated tone.

Callie furrowed her eyebrows together, taking a moment to avoid answering her desperate question. Finn had been immediately arrested and taken to the prison station. No council meeting took place to make that decision. The Chancellor made a swift decision based on the decree and safety of the Ark. "What did he do Raven?" Callie countered, her eyes pleading for an answer.

Raven's lips trembled as she let out a hysterical laugh, "What did he do?" she gasped with her face twisting into a pained expression. "He gave me the best damn birthday present I've ever had," she cried as her fingers tracing over the metal trinket on the thin chain she bore around her neck. Callie knew the small handmade raven wasn't the gift Raven was referring to.

"He borrowed a spacesuit and found a way for me to spacewalk," Raven hiccupped, her voice uneven. "It was the most amazing thing too," she whispered breathlessly, tears blurring her vision as she swallowed a lump in her throat. She had been free, floating in space with a promised return to her quarters later that evening. Callista inched closer as Raven spoke about her experience; her curiosity not allowing her to understand the full depth of the danger Raven placed herself in. Thick tears slipped down Raven's face as she continued.

"There was an outer breach after I came back in while I was undressing. I told Finn he'd have to use the manual override to get me back on board," her voice trailed off. A sob escaped past her lips as Raven pushed her face further into her legs. Callie rested her palms against Raven's shaking shoulder. "Ray," she whispered softly with understanding. "It's okay-"

"No, it is definitely not okay!" Raven wailed, jerking away from the comforting touch. "He made me take off the spacesuit so he could wear it!" Callista frowned, her lips pressing together. "Raven, it's going to be okay, I know it doesn't seem like that right now but you know as well as I do why he did that. You would've been floated-"

"I'd rather it had been me." She murmured, her shoulders sagging at the weight of her words. "I had a chance to avoid the whole incident. But you want to know what the most fucked up part about it is?" Raven muttered dejectedly, stretching her legs out in front of her as she slumped against the wall.

"What?" Callie humored with a concerned regard.

"Even if I could go back and repeat the whole day again, I still wouldn't have said no." Raven whispered mortified by her own words. "I love him, but I wouldn't pass a chance up to spacewalk." She released a heavy sigh, lifting her eyes to seek forgiveness from Callista. "I definitely wouldn't let him take the blame though."

Silence fell between them as Callista chose her answer carefully. "The reason I'm still able to get through it is because I still have an opportunity to see Soren." Callie mused thoughtfully, resting her head against the wall. Callista turned her head sideways to glance over Raven's streaking wet face. "As long as she's not dead, there's still a chance the Council will pardon her of the crimes, even though she's seen as an act of terrorism for stealing the most valuable information that could either cause mass destruction or restoration pertaining to the Ark's existence."

Callie snorted at the mention of the bullshit the Chancellor conjured about Soren's motives. She didn't know which to be more repulsed by, the lies Jaha easily managed to mesmerize the council with or the fact that nobody even questioned it. "He cost the Ark three months of oxygen, there won't be any exceptions for a pardon on his behalf," Raven muttered darkly, her hands pawing at the streaks that continued to roll down her cheeks.

"At least you still get to have time to spend with him," Callista reasoned, pressing her lips together. They both knew if Raven would've refused against Finn, that she would've been floated on the spot, no regards for her intellect or achievements. "He wouldn't have if it had been you. At least he gets another year to see, talk, and love you."

Raven kept quiet. Her lips trembled as she closed her eyes, nodding. "You're right," she murmured, her eyes empty as she spoke quietly, "But after that, he's eighteen, then what?" Callie released a quiet cry, covering her mouth as realization sank in. She had high hopes to rescue Soren from the prison station, but death mocked her with taking the lives of not only Soren, but Finn too.

* * *

The day was long and nearing an end. Marcus released a stressful breath of air as he leaned back in his chair. Chancellor Jaha made more decisions without any consultation or votes from the council, leaving him with a massive amount of paperwork. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "What is the point in having a council if he keeps impulsively condemning the youth to the prison station?" he asked the empty office, shaking his head as he read over Finn Collin's file.

The kid held a clean record growing up. He made one mistake but the Chancellor left no room for any second chances. His eyes skimmed the pages as he rapidly flipped through the file, pausing at the familiarity of the picture. "Oh no," he muttered, recognizing the boy Callista was acquainted with during her classes. "Why would he risk a spacewalk for his life?"

He closed the report and stared at the manila folder with distaste. He hadn't ever dealt with a spacewalker situation. Most of the kids possessed thievery as their sentence, with an exception to the special cases located on the fourth and fifth levels. "Where does a harmless prank like that end up?" he scratched his head. If he placed Finn on the fourth or fifth floor, he wouldn't have any visitation rights. He pressed his lips together in consideration.

 _'Chancellor Jaha doesn't decide how I sort the prisoners. That's my job,'_ Kane reminded himself, marking the folder with a level two. He released a sigh, rubbing his forehead. He glanced at the other two folders containing Soren McKenzie and Dan Jenkin's history. Soren was officially been prohibited from any visitation rights and placed within the strict isolation cells upon the fifth level. He was thankful she wouldn't have to deal with any retribution from any of Jenkin's buddies.

A knock sounded from the door. "Enter."

"Kane," Major Byrnes addressed him respectfully as she slide the door shut. "Has there been a decision of Finn Collins holding cell?" she asked directly with a raised brow; straight forward and to the point. He liked that about Major Byrnes.

"Prepare a cell on level two," he insisted before busying himself with Soren's folder. He reviewed the contents, frowning at the words sabotage and terrorism. "Have you prepared McKenzie's cell on the fifth level?"

"Yes sir, everything has run smoothly without incident." Major Byrnes reported as he nodded in response at her briefing. "Has Chancellor Jaha given any indication if she'll be approved to witness?"

He nodded solemnly. "He's human enough to grant her that privilege. From my understanding of the whole ordeal, McKenzie isn't the only one that has dealt with harassment, is she?" Marcus asked curiously, clasping his hands in front of him while waiting for Byrnes to answer.

"She's the only one he's made an attempt but there are other cadets that have reported prisoners harassed in a sexualized manner." She sighed heavily, sinking in the chair in front of his desk. She gave him an apologetic smile. "I obtained no valid proof until I found a traumatized girl covered in blood, sitting on her mattress. Even though Jenkins accused her of trying to escape, she hadn't even made an effort with her cell being open for more than five minutes." Byrnes remarked, crossing her arms against her chest. "They may be delinquents, but they're as human as the rest of us. They are there to learn from their mistakes, to be reformed. Not to be disgusted and appalled by any official cladded in a black uniform. I don't tolerate any of my cadets stepping a toe out of line."

Marcus nodded. "Thank you, for the witness request. If it were me, he'd probably dismiss it. I think she deserves to see the punishment. Especially since her defensive retaliation costed her isolation."

Major Byrnes gave a shake of her head, disappointment evident. "It wasn't a hard decision to convince the Chancellor when you have several statements from other cadets. Nobody tolerates such repulsive behavior on this force. It gives the guard a bad reputation, which we don't want the colony to see and revolt against."

"Thank you again, Major Byrnes." Marcus repeated with gratitude. The Major wasn't the only one running his station smoothly, but she certainly offered more assistance than the rest of his guard. She helped maintain the job which decreased complications from occurring on a daily basis. "Please, prepare Soren for later. The Chancellor may have given her the right to witness her justice, but there are requirements needed as precautionary actions. I'll be down to her cell to escort her."

Major Byrnes nodded, standing to her feet and making haste out of his office, leaving Marcus alone again.

Callista was going to be furious that Soren would be contained in isolation. Even though he considered it as protection from retaliation, the Chancellor made it clear that the _delirious lunatic_ wouldn't harm another official. Marcus glanced down at his com call, making a decision that he knew he wouldn't regret. He scrolled through the contacts and brought up the receivers information, pressing the green contact button. The call connected within seconds.

"Dad?" Callie asked in confusion, her brows pushing together as she wiped away the remaining tears. Raven was sprawled out against her mattress, the blankets cocooning her in a warmth protection while she used Callie's legs as a pillow. "What's going on?" She lowered her voice, not wanting to wake Raven who passed out from emotional exhaustion. She stroked Raven's black hair soothingly as she listened to her father's request to come down to his office to talk. Apparently, she needed to be present for the conversation. "Yeah, sure, I'll be down in a few." she muttered, ending the call without a goodbye.

She scrunched her face up further, wondering what he could possibly want to talk to her about. It was unusual for him to com call her, though his voice sounded urgent. She carefully cradled Raven's head up, replacing her legs with soft pillows. "I'll be back in a little bit Ray," she whispered as Raven murmured a muffled response. She pulled her hoodie over her head, making sure her identification key card was hooked around her neck before stepping out of her quarters.

She didn't bother to run through the halls. It was late in the evening after dining hours. Any running at this stretch would raise suspicious antics concerns with the guards. Not that Callie would have a problem explaining that Marcus requested her presence immediately, but she'd prefer to avoid causing more troubles for her father. His hands were full with paperwork and maintenance of the prison station.

"Identification," a bored voice droned, not bothering to look up from the clipboard. The sight of familiar dark curls made Callista freeze in her spot. She knew if she didn't speak, then she wouldn't be able to gain entrance to her father's office. "Callista Kane," She reluctantly bit out, seething at remembering Jared's doubt about passing the exam. However, when a new pair of curious brown eyes studied her face, she realized they weren't the ones she was familiar with at the training facility. His hair wasn't really curly at all. It looked slightly wavy from being partially dried from a shower. He looked nothing similar to Jared. His boyish features were much more appealing. "Oh, you need my identification card," she muttered in a sheepish manner, ducking her head to hide her reddening cheeks.

She patted her pockets down and groaned remembering her card was safely attached to her lanyard around her neck. She passed the chip identification over as the cadet ran it through the system. "Alright, you're good to go Callista," he dismissed, waving his hand. "Councilman Kane-your father, is in his office."

"Uhhh, she spoke hesitantly, her cheeks burning at the realization that she hadn't caught his name. Should she call him cadet? Would that be considered rude and uptight of her? She was never one for formalities but it was different for any official within the colony. "It's Bellamy Blake," he clarified, with a cheeky smile. Callista chuckled with nervousness at her own foolish insolence. "Thanks Bellamy," she murmured before grasping her identification card and dashing towards her father's office.

She didn't bother to knock as she walked in, sliding the door shut and leaning against it, releasing a sigh of relief. "These cadets are far more attractive than what I can handle," she whispered under her breath, resting her head against the door.

"What?" Her father asked causing her to be startled. He gave her a playful smile as she shook her head in denial. "Nothing dad," she retorted, resuming her steps towards his desk and sinking down into the plushy leather chair. "What was so urgent that I had to come clear to the prison station?"

Marcus placed his head in his hands, peering over his clasped hands to stare at Callie. "There was an incident earlier that I thought you needed to be aware of." He started off slowly. He didn't know how Callista would react to Soren's isolation, but he knew that she'd partially hold fault towards him. The prison station held his signature on any documented decision. He frowned as Callie's lips pressed together in with a grimace.

"Yeah, I already know about it dad, Raven informed me."

"How would Raven know when Chancellor Jaha made the decision for Soren's isolation-" Callista straightened up in her chair cutting her father off, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Soren is in isolation? What the hell does that mean?" Callie seethed. Her hands balled up into fists as she restrained herself from walking out of Marcus's office. "What happened since my last visitation?" She demanded with a sharp accusatory tone.

Marcus groaned, rubbing his forehead. He should've known. Finn Collins was detained earlier. Callie jumped to an assumption that the news he was preparing to announce were related. "Shit," he muttered, giving Callie a sympathetic look. He would've scolded her for such foul language but under the circumstance, he excused the vulgar choice of words expressing her rage. "I hadn't planned on telling you until the final decisions were made. I also didn't want to stress you while waiting for your results." He gave an apologetic smile to his daughter before explaining the situation that occurred over the past week.

"She's okay though, right?" Callista whispered, her throat constricting at the thought of never being able to see Soren.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier Callie, I didn't think the Chancellor would relocate her to complete isolation, especially under the circumstances." He rubbed his forehead. "However, there is good news. She'll be protected in isolation. The incident will never happen again. Jenkins has many friends on the force and Major Byrnes will be reprimanding them if they retaliate."

"Why would they retaliate though?"

"Jenkins is being floated tonight and Soren will be present to witness his sentence. There's a chance they'll try to pursue her, but being on the fifth level restricts any interaction except for the rations being distributed. She'll have her own toilette to facilitate, so no escorts would be required." Marcus explained as Callie sat back in her chair with a conflicted expression.

Marcus released a sigh, casting his eyes down at his desk. "I know what Soren has done for you, Callie." Marcus spoke gently. "I will do what I can to convince Jaha for her release, but I can only do that if I have found what's been lost."

He brought his eyes to meet Callista's startled gaze. Her body stiffened at his revelation, understanding the unspoken words. "You'd do that?" she whispered. Her father kept a reputation within the Ark. He didn't look the other way when somebody went against regulations, no matter who the person was helping.

"Of course, she's like a second daughter to me Callie. I wish you asked me instead to help you. I would've done it if I'd known. I suppose I'm not the best father in the whole colony's existence, but I've been trying."

Callista felt her face crumple at Marcus's confession. Her eyes watered instantly at him thinking the worst of his parenting skills. "I didn't ask her," she breathed, tears slipping effortlessly down her face. "I had no idea what she did until I found the books in my room after her arrest. I was terrified of telling you because you kept talking about me joining the guard, so I didn't want to disappoint you. So, I kept it a secret. I figured if I failed the exam, then it wasn't meant to be. I should've known better." She whispered, hiccupping through the tears. "You're not a terrible father. You're really not," she whispered, placing her head in her hands.

Marcus stood from his chair, closing the distance between him and his daughter, wrapping his arms tightly around her body. "You could never disappoint me, I thought I already told you this." He chuckled, kissing her head before stepping away and leaning against the desk. "I never wanted to tell you, and I hadn't planned on it even though I promised you if you passed, I would." He began slowly. Their conversation shifted drastically. He promised himself he'd never tell her, but she needed to know. She believed he was disappointed in her choice when it was the complete opposite. "Your mother, made me promise her on her deathbed, that you'd continue her legacy within the guard."

Callie's lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath. She shook her head in disbelief, appalled that a will was already decided before she was old enough to imagine her own future; to explore and pursue her own interests.

"I'm only telling you this because you are the last thing from being a disappointment Callie. I want to take credit for the person you've become, but I can't bring myself to do that when I've never been truly there like I should have been, and I'm sorry. I know that's why you moved in with Soren. I can never make up for the past, but I will keep trying to do this right."

"Why help Soren though, not that I don't appreciate extra help, but..."

"Because if you felt comfortable with asking me, Soren wouldn't be locked up and you wouldn't be consumed with guilt Callie." Marcus stated the obvious with a strengthened resolve. "Return what was lost, let me handle that responsibility, okay?" He asked permission, hoping it didn't sound commanding. Callie nodded with a small appreciative smile playing on her lips. "Let's go visit Soren."


	8. Chapter 8

Callie followed behind Marcus up the staircase lost in her thoughts, appreciating the man she had as a father. She didn't show him enough appreciation for everything that he had done for her like any parent would do for their child. She could've been an orphan like Soren or had a horrible mother like Raven; in a way she had been, losing her mother. Callie fabricated memories of Freya based on what Marcus would speak of after moonshine had been downed. She didn't really have a chance to feel the impact of her loss since she never had the chance to know her as an existing parent. She had died after childbirth, leaving Callie to continue her legacy.

Callie's pace eventually slowed as her father stopped outside of Soren's cell with a grim expression. She found her eyes drifting over towards her side, searching for those familiar haunting eyes that had left her terrified the last time she had encountered them.

' _Why am I even bothering?'_ she thought as she tried to refrain but couldn't overcome the urge to be assured he was still there.

Relief washed through her body in an instant she laid eyes on his lanky figure tucked against the corner. His body was curled into the far corner of the wall he shared with Soren. The lids of his eyes were closed and he appeared to in a deep sleep. Callie took a step closer towards the glass, seeing his lips moving wordlessly.

"Callie?" Marcus called, startling Callista as heat rushed through her cheeks as she took cautious steps away from the glass like it had burned her. Her hands rubbed her arms nervously while she glanced questionably at her father. "I have to go get the Major to gain entrance," Marcus explained, after finding his key unresponsive even with the help of his override code. He pushed past his daughter in a hurry, knowing that Byrnes had changed it briefly as a precaution until Soren had moved levels.

"Hey Soren," Callie called out quietly, giving an apologetic smile as Soren lifted her head from the corner.

Soren groaned, running her hands over her face. "Even on my last visitation day, you still look at me with that face!" She pointed out accusingly causing Callie to wince. Soren appeared to be kidding but the seriousness embedded in the iris of her eyes spoke volumes.

"I can't help it!" Callie muttered, trying to keep her voice light. "I can't help thinking you would've been better off without knowing me because you wouldn't be here," She grudgingly bit out. Callie was tired of filtering her mouth and her thoughts from her best friend.

Soren muttered a string of curses under her breath before standing to her feet, brushing her hands over her pants aggressively. Each step Soren took towards her, made Callie want to shrink away but she kept her feet grounded. "What will it take for you to stop being so damn guilty for something that was never your fault Callie?" She asked harshly causing Callie to visibly flinch. Callie secured her arms around her as she averted Soren's angered gaze. Soren could handle Callie feeling guilt but wishing their friendship away had pissed her off.

"I-I don't know," Callie muttered out quietly. Her bluntness had push Soren to this level of fury which Callie never had the chance to witness. She kept her gaze solely focused on her feet as she fought to keep her emotions neutral. Soren was kept clueless of the plan already in motion to get her released from the prison station. There would be a never ending lecture about the threats that would jeopardize the task. Callie wouldn't be surprised if Soren would use her guilt to prevent the entire scenario. So, the decision was made to keep it a secret.

"You know what," Soren murmured thoughtfully, twirling the fading hues of teal strands of hair around her finger as she pondered over her thoughts. "I'm losing visitation, they're moving my cells and I'm going to be dead soon." Soren listed off lightly, her last words catching Callie's attention as she stiffened at the mention of death. "Keep my neighbor company so he doesn't lose his sanity without me and I'll call us even." She blatantly offered, tilting her head with a sly smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Callie shook her head. "What? I don't even know him-" Callie protested. Fear clawed up her insides at the thought of sitting down with _him_. The oxygen felt like it had been deflated from her lungs as she struggled to draw a shaky breath. What the hell was Soren trying to accomplish?

She couldn't talk to _him._

 _'But you kept staring at him like a fucking creep Callie,'_ she reprimanded her own revolting thoughts as she desperately tried to reason with herself. There was no way she could sit down with him after studying him outside of the glass like he was some animal exhibit. He piqued her interest. She wouldn't deny that; she'd be lying to herself.

"I do," Soren reasoned softly, glancing towards the wall. He had fallen silent around the arrival of her company. She speculated what could've made him stop talking. It's not like they would be in trouble for conversing but he remained quiet once Callie appeared. "John's my friend and he's going to need somebody to talk to."

"Doesn't he have another neighbor?" Callie objected weakly, knowing that she had already made her decision based off of the concern that lay within Soren's eyes. _Soren was genuinely concerned for John,_ Callie realized. That was unmistakably etched into each wrinkle that creased on her forehead when Soren glanced back towards the abandoned corner. "Not anymore," Soren whispered in a weighty tone; her voice strained.

Callie heavily sighed, pressing her face in her hands. The pads of her fingers gently massaged her temples as she tried to reason with her fear. She wanted to refuse the proposal, she really did. She couldn't forget the way his eyes had burned into her with a hateful resentment. It had caught her off guard because she hadn't ever known him. The thought of denying Soren's request stormed a hurricane of emotions, drowning Callie in the feeling of guilt. She raised her head while her hands tugged relentlessly on her curls, straightening the strands as she pressed her lips together. "Fine," she reluctantly agreed.

"What's she doing here Marcus?" The Major hissed with disrespect as the two approached Soren's cell with haste. She leaned closer to Marcus, lowering her voice as her eyes darted around to confirm they were alone. "If she gets caught here-"

"Soren is family, to both of us, Major Byrnes." Marcus reminded her as his hands clasped Callista 's shoulders. "If she's being moved to isolation, this is their last farewell."

Callie's lips curled downwards as her eyebrows furrowed together. Byrnes didn't say much of anything as she swiped her card and she kept her face impassive. She silently punched in a variety of numbers to prove her authorization before the glass slide to the side, allowing entry. "Quickly, Kane," She addressed briefly before taking her position outside of the door to give some privacy.

Callie clutched her fingers around the small tubes she had bartered for as a parting gift. She had tucked them safely in her hoodie pockets. "So, isolation is going to make it hard to keep that crazy hair maintenance of yours, so you best make these last," Callie said with a small smile as she dropped the three tubes she retracted from her pocket into Soren's hand.

"Three?" Soren frowned, eyeing her friend with inquisitive eyes. "One tube is a difficult enough," she whispered, swallowing the emotions climbing up her throat.

"There are two other people who miss you too." Callie paused, shrugging. She was trying to keep her sadness at bay with jokes. A smile tugged at her lips remembering Finn's convincing negotiating skills, snickering behind her hand. "We have our ways with haggling, you know that."

Soren released a hearty laugh, her face softening as she clasped the bottles of blue coloring. "I don't know how to keep the supply going but I figured three bottles would….be enough." Callie felt her throat tighten as she cut her sentence short. She grounded her teeth together as she willed the thought away. ' _Three bottles should last,'_ she thought bitterly as she casted her eyes away from her friend while Marcus spoke briefly with Soren.

"I couldn't promise you much time but we have to go now." He forced that familiar apologetic smile as Callista nodded with understanding. He was already compromising his position by having her presence there; Byrnes made that clear.

Callie wrapped Soren in a tight hug without a moment's hesitation, hoping it wouldn't be the last time she'd see her. "It won't be for long, stay strong," Callie breathed quietly, pushing away with her and spinning on her heel to leave the station as quickly as possible. She refused to say _may we meet again._

That wouldn't be the last time Soren saw her and she'd fulfill her request until her release day.

She cursed upon realization that Soren hadn't given his last name, leaving her with no way to request visitation. She paused at the top of the staircase, her fingers grasping the railing tightly as her knuckles whitened in response. Callie breathed evenly through her nose, calming her panic at her recklessness.

She had two options. There was the option of actually conversation with the neighboring cell or talking to the cadet at the gates. She chose the lesser of the two evils, resuming her pace towards registration.

* * *

Soren kept her face impassive as Marcus guided her by the elbow towards their destination. She held no concerns for Jenkins wellbeing as she approached the airlock chamber that would obviate his presence from the Ark into never ending darkness. He smirked, biting back laughter as he took in her appearance; her mouth contained within a leather makeshift muzzle. She casted a sideways glance at Jaha with narrowed eyes. She had not been at fault but the Chancellor presented her like threats still lurked within her. Her hands wanted to rip the crude leather from her face and retort a satisfying remark, but her hands remained snugly bound behind her. She tilted her head instead taunting him with her eyes. As he turned his face fully towards her, Soren released a muffled chuckle.

The purple blackening bruise he sported around his eye and the busted lip were enough to sate her spitefulness.

Jaha started his speech, informing that Daniel was receiving the capital punishment amongst the colony considering he had broken the law. Daniel's face paled as his eyes shifted to studying the hateful glare from Soren; he balked. "The Council made a unanimous vote earlier today for your floatation, Jenkins," Jaha declared. There were no objections as Major Byrnes pushed him into the chamber emotionlessly, sealing the doors off as Daniel's face crumpled into panic.

What did he think was going to happen?

Soren scoffed at the thought of him imagining her within the airlock chamber. That's exactly what he had thought probably. Why else would a prisoner be here? They hadn't bound his hands or placed a muzzle on his features. So, he had assumed he was safe. Soren scoffed, rolling her eyes. They let the bastard roam the Ark freely until proven guilty, she'd bet her life on it that they did.

The gate opened, exposing Jenkins to the outside elements as his body was forcibly sucked into the unprotected void. The lack of oxygen and negative pressure containing unknown gases immediately took effect. Soren could visibly see the vacuum depleting the oxygen from his lungs as his struggling body slowly went limp before the skin tone changed to a bluish color in reaction to the low temperature.

He was gone.

Dead.

"Alright, take prisoner 0122 back to her cell," the Chancellor instructed with annoyance as he walked away from the station without any form of an apology.

Marcus led Soren to the fifth level in silence. He didn't offer her any words of comfort; she didn't expect him even if he could manage. There were too many eyes curiously watching them. The officials weren't use to Kane relocating or escorting a prisoner. Soren didn't care. She didn't need the extra attention but she knew that others would constantly be looking for a way to reach her. Maybe that's why Marcus made it a priority to escort her so they would reconsider the futile attempt; making her untouchable.

Byrne blocked the path from anybody else coming down the corridor as Marcus unlocked the cell. "It won't be permanent." He muttered quietly, removing the muzzle from her face as she frowned.

"Of course not, in a year, I'll meet the same fate." She breathed through her nose, shaking her head. "I've accepted that."

Marcus froze at the door way, his brow twitching before glancing down the corridor to see if Byrne was listening. "Callie didn't tell you, did she?" He asked with furrowed brows as Soren's jaw ticked.

"Tell me what?" Marcus looked torn as his hands removed the cuffs from her wrists. Soren rubbed her fingers softly against the angry red impression embedded into her skin as she waited nervously for an explanation. "What isn't she telling me?" She pressed, the unsettling feeling stirring in her stomach.

He licked his lips, averting his gaze as he sighed. "I guess you'll find out within time but Callie has a plan. You're not going to stay in the prison station."

Soren felt her whole body stiffen at the revelation as her breath caught in her throat, depriving her lungs of oxygen. _"It won't be for long, stay strong," she had barely whispered. Callie hadn't looked back at Soren. She left so quickly, not bothering with the expected parting words._ Her body shook as Marcus came into focus. His hands were on her face as his lips moving rapidly but she couldn't hear any of the words he spoke. "Soren, breath," Marcus demanded impatiently, his eyes flickering cautiously over his shoulder. This was the fifth level. The only person occupying the level other than him was Byrne. He trusted her.

Soren gasped, stumbling away from Marcus and catching her balance on the wall. "You cannot," she wheezed, closing her eyes. "Let her do that. They'll know." She paused, giving him an accusatory glare. "They'll take her into custody Kane."

"No, they won't Soren," Marcus stated. His certainty eased the anxiousness that had overridden her senses. As much as she wanted to believe Marcus, she knew better. "Callie's returning it to me and I'm handling the situation." Soren shook her head doubtfully. "Marcus, it won't work out, even if you're involved." She scoffed, running her hand through her hair. "Trust me." She pleaded silently, her eyes begging him to reconsider. "Soren, don't worry." He chuckled nervously, stepping outside her cell and sliding the door. He didn't offer another glance as he walked away, leaving her alone in complete solitary.

Isolation sounded like vacation compared to the fourth floor. No more having a bathroom buddy. Soren could speak freely to the walls without any fear of official objections. She could sing at the top of her lungs and nobody would bother her. But solitary lost all its appeal as she was left with the never ending burden for Callista 's rash determination and no way of ever knowing if everything went smoothly or took a turn for the worse.


	9. Chapter 9

A nervous breath escaped Callie's lips as she fidgeted. Her fingers twitched at her sides as she waited outside the cafeteria for Raven. Last week had been exhausting with the amount of things that happened. She passed her exams; Raven passed the test but failed her physical. Finn had been arrested due to a spacewalking escapade. Soren had been almost _raped_ and moved to isolation for protection. And now, Callie promised Soren she'd keep her neighbor sane since he'd have nobody to talk to.

 _John Murphy._

She shivered. The apprehension feeling settled in her stomach as she clasped her hands tightly together inside of her hoodie pockets. His loathing regard of his eyes never left her memory. As terrifying as his sudden mood change had been that day, she was unable to keep her curious eyes from wandering and now, she had to make her first visit with him today. She wondered what he would think, especially since she couldn't give the man the ounce of privacy he was trying to obtain by hiding in a corner.

"I'm so relieved that it's Thursday," Raven murmured as she stepped up beside of Callie. "Shall we eat before we go?" Callie barely nodded as she tailed Raven towards the morning queue, content that Raven gained control of her provisions. Callie snickered behind her hand as she took in the casual attire Raven wore comfortably, noting the effort Raven dressed for her appearance. "I'm surprised that you actually own clothing that doesn't hold a smeared grease stain of some sort," Callie joked lightly with a crooked smile. Raven silently glared at her waiting to have her name checked off the list. Callie chuckled, receiving her tray trailing after Raven towards the window. It wasn't their favored place they habitually choose; the four person booth in the corner across the room held a special place for them but the small table with two chairs, against the window wall of space, was a fresh start for change.

"So, does he know you're coming today?" Raven asked without a beat after they situated the trays, placing the bowl of oats on the table along with the other fruit provisions provided for a complimentary breakfast. Even though Callie preferred the unsatisfying protein bars, Sinclair advised them earlier this week during training to start eating healthier. He made sure to give Raven and Callie a pointed yet knowing look. Callie sighed, adding some flavoring to her oats before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so." Her stomach flipped uneasily as she stared at her food with contemplation. "I don't think I can manage to eat," she mumbled, placing a hand on her abdominal hoping to ease the churning insides. She rested her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands. "How am I supposed to talk to a guy I don't know, Raven? Not just any random stranger, but one that I've been caught staring at." Callie added with a groan.

"He caught you staring at him, what the hell Callie," Raven laughed wholeheartedly. Her shoulders were shaking at the mortification written all over Callie's reddened cheeks. As humiliated as Callie felt, she missed the sound of Raven's genuine laughter. "This is serious Raven!" Callie deadpanned with sagging shoulders. Her fingers rubbed her temples at the complicated situation, trying to understand it all. Soren was honestly concerned for the guy so she refused to back out of her promise. "I don't know what to say."

"You talked to Jared pretty easily, I think you can manage to visit for a few hours without a struggle," Raven chuckled dismissively, taking a sip of her coffee. The amusement faded from her eyes as she focused her gaze on the table. Raven gripped the steel cup tightly as her hands shook, guilt shadowing her face as she closed her eyes. "Hey, it's going be okay." Callie murmured in realization, reaching out and touching her hand in comfort. It was a soothing lie; things would be alright for a year-but after that, nothing would ever be okay again. Raven still had a whole year to spend with Finn. Callie swallowed the lump of emotions gathering in her throat as she pushed the depressing thoughts of never seeing Soren again away.

Her stomach objected with cramps while she chewed the bland mush of oats. Callie grimaced at the taste before plopping a tangy orange slice in her mouth. Raven cleared her tray in silence, eyeing the uneaten porridge in front of Callie. "Don't be wasteful," she chastised crossly, with a raised brow. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Callie muttered distastefully, shoveling the remainder of the oats into her mouth before washing it down with black coffee. "Surprisingly, that was easier to stomach than I imagined." Raven wrinkled her nose with disgust, shaking her head. "You're an odd person, Callista Kane," she deemed as they both stood to their feet. They stacked their trays on the way out, heading towards the prison station.

* * *

The queue surprisingly wasn't as long as Callie had encountered the last time. She cursed under her breath silently willing the system to malfunction. She could probably manage at most an hour with him but not much longer after that. Of course, the option of leaving early was available but it felt like a betrayal to Soren to even consider it. _Damn it Soren,_ Callie cursed, gritting her teeth as she passed her identification over to the acquainted disliked cadet.

"Huh, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Jared murmured as he ran it through the system while she blew her bangs up with a huff of annoyance. She had an impression of what information was being displayed across his computer screen. It probably listed generals, like the location of her quarters with the Ark along with her authorization numbers including her occupation status amongst the details. Jared's grin slipped from his face as he gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, for what I said," he muttered, lowering his gaze as he handed the card back before addressing Raven.

Callie refused to reply, denying his apology. She briefly waited for Raven by the entry until an official waved her over hurriedly towards the staircase. "So, you're actually going to sit down with John, huh?" Bellamy joked once she was close enough to hear.

The anxiousness quickly returned as Callie fidgeted with her hoodie strings, trying to ignore the tension building with each ascending step. She scowled playfully, rolling her eyes. "You make it sound ridiculous like he hasn't had visitors before."

Bellamy gave her a knowing look with a raised brow. "You know as well as I do that level four is restricted and the fifth floor is isolation." He paused, glancing over his shoulder with a cynical look. "So, yeah, it is a bit uncommon for someone like you."

"Just because it's restricted doesn't mean his parents can't come see him," Callie justified, shaking her head in disbelief. ' _What did he mean, someone like me,'_ Callie thought begrudgingly. Her status wasn't high in the Ark, but it held some credibility now that she was a zero gravity mechanic.

"But you're not family. So, why are you permitted entry access to these levels?" He asked over his shoulder as she followed him up the metal grated steps. She bit her lip, keeping quiet on her reasoning. "Are you privileged because of your father?" He asked, almost mockingly. Callie recoiled from his assaulting words in regards to her father. Her father was just following the regulations as a commanding councilman. There wasn't an excuse she could offer for his reputation but he wasn't the bad guy. He was just following the chain of command, like any other high ranking officials. Bellamy had to understand that, so why did he assume she was privileged.

"Special privileges, me?" She pointed to her chest before laughing lightly. Callie shook her head with a forced smile. Callie no longer held shame-there were times when she refrained from using her last name but after everything that happened, she couldn't be anything but honored with pride being Marcus's daughter. He put a lot on the line, proving to her that he would do better as a father. That meant more to her than being a zero gravity mechanic. "Everything that I do has been earned. I've always had fourth level access due to my roommate being locked up. It's listed on my identification card amongst my authorization numbers."

That night, when she returned to the registration desk to originally ask him for the information, it was a different cadet due to the shift change; a newly uniformed cadet who released the information without any questions once she stated her name. Being a Kane always had privileges but she denied humoring herself with such luxuries. "So, John's your roommate?" Bellamy asked curiously, shaking his head before leading the way down the end of the corridor. "Were-Are you two dating or something?"

Callie kept her lips tightly pressed together as they clambered onto the fourth level. She licked her lips tentatively as he continued his unanswered interrogations, following behind him silently. It wasn't any of his business what John was to her. He wasn't anything as far as Callie was concerned, but he was something to Soren. A friend, maybe even more; she didn't know for certain. Soren had never mentioned him on visitations. "Prisoner, your girlfriend's here," Bellamy greeted. He released a chuckle at the sight of the dazed expression while inserting the key card into the slot, inputting the access codes.

The glass slide open as John hesitantly approached the opening of freedom with a guarded appearance. He shifted his sight past the official, widening at the familiarity of the red headed girl. Her terror stricken emerald eyes glanced downwards at her feet as she avoided his inquisitive stare. He noticed her balled up hands shaking at her sides as he ventured further out onto the balcony. Callie silently hoped John wouldn't protest, hoping that he would follow her lead as she turned to trail after Bellamy. Callie released a shaky breath, summoning the courage to glance back over her shoulder as they descended the staircase. His darkened muddied gaze settled on hers, her cheeks blazing in response. A crooked smirk played on his lips as she turned around quickly, her nerves erratic by his close proximity.

"So, is he?" Bellamy asked again with determination. Bellamy stared at her, waiting for her reluctant response.

John snaked his arm securely around her waist causing Callie to react by concealing her face behind her curly mane in shock at the sudden physical contact. His fingers squeezed her sides in comfort. "Callie caught me off guard by visiting this week," he articulated smoothly, smirking smugly at the disappointment washed over the guards features. Bellamy gave the couple one last frustrated frown, returning to his duties, leaving Callie alone with John. She didn't speak, shying away from his tingling touch, guiding him back to the unoccupied comfy bench that gave the view of the whole floor. She timidly took a seat drawling her legs underneath her, casting a questionable glance at John as he listened to the conversing voices surrounding them. The first three levels were allowed to converse and walk amongst the other prisoners and visitors. There weren't many restrictions as long as the prisoners remained within the prison station. They pretty much had a little taste of freedom. John shrugged the envious feeling away as he realized he stood on the very same ground floor with an actual person visiting him.

"Girlfriend was the best excuse you could compose?" He asked sitting down beside of her with an amused smirk playing at the corner of his lips. Her jaw slacked in response as she stared at him wordlessly. She furrowed her brows, jabbing a finger into his chest. "How in the hell do you know my name?" She demanded heatedly. His arm wrapping around her had caught her off guard but she couldn't get over the fact that he knew her name. She fidgeted in silence under the intensity of his stare. "That's rich coming from you," he countered with a mocking tone.

He stared at her blankly, his eyes paying attention to each one of her features as her angular brows bunched together causing her forehead to wrinkle. His slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as she kept quiet before releasing a shuddering breath. "Okay, that's fair enough, I suppose," she mumbled dejectedly. Her fingers tangled themselves in her curls, tugging at the wiry strands nervously. "I'm sorry."

"For which part," He mused, keeping his eyes trained on hers. "What do you mean for which part?" She watched him wearingly, waiting for an answer. "Oh, I don't know." he spoke slowly, his voice laced with sarcasm as he shrugged his shoulders simply, "You seem to be feeling remorseful, only guilty people apologize out of the nowhere."

"Do you recognize me?" She abruptly asked, the heated feeling igniting her face. He released a genuine laugh, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Yeah, you're the girl that keeps checking me out." He bit down on his lip to refrain from laughing and embarrassing her further. He couldn't help but to enjoy how uncomfortable the conversation had made her, extinguishing her internal fire of retorts.

She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she muttered curses under her breath-mostly, cursing Soren. Callie wasn't use to her body betraying her feelings, blushing humiliation. Being with John made her an open book. "Well, sorry, about that." She grumbled sheepishly, blowing out her frustrations through her peach stained lips. "You seemed pretty pissed off that day, I wasn't sure if you would even come down here." She softly added with a frown. He hadn't regarded her with the same cold and hateful eyes. Everything that she thought she read through the glass was nothing alike-it was the complete opposite. The only similarity kept was his guarded appearance.

"I may have jumped to assumption that got me in trouble with Soren," he admittedly spoke after silence settled between them comfortably. He straightened his back, retracting his arms from resting on his knees as he turned towards her. "Soren," she mumbled in recognition as he nodded in acknowledgement. Soren, the whole reason she was entertaining a guy she never knew existed. The close friendliness forming made her shift away, placing distance between them. "That's how you know my name."

He hummed in response, nodding his head in agreement. She glanced over at him seeing the knowing smile on his face. "What?" She asked cautiously, noting how serious his features had become. "Don't you have anything better to do than sit here and talk to someone you don't even know?" He stated with a slight frown. He heard Callie's objections at Soren's proposal. She had reluctantly agreed to satisfy Soren. He hadn't expected her to stay true to her word. To his surprise, she actually showed up.

He chewed on his bottom lip, his almond shaped eyes never leaving her face. "There isn't any other place I'd rather be than here," she inaudibly spoke, her fingers twiddling around each other as she stared at her lap. "I think that's a lie."


	10. Chapter 10

Loud chatter from the floor rose to the top elevated floors as John paced his cubicle eagerly. His eyes constantly checking the scratched tally marks, confirming it was visitation day. Yet there was no Callista . "Where is she," he inaudibly spoke, his voice strained with anxious agitation. He pressed his body against the glass, stretching his neck to see over the railings. Small groups of prisoners and colonists conversed together, laughing and chatting animatedly. Being locked in solitude, took a toll on a person. But Callie making him a priority, to see him every morning, every visitation over the past few weeks, made it more bearable-A lot more than he'd like to admit.

 _"What's it like to be friends with the daughter of Marcus? I mean, you mention repeatedly she's always oozing guilt each visit, so clearly she's the reason you're here, right?" he asked freely, resting his head against the concrete wall, his deep blue eyes trained on the ceiling above him as he spoke. "That girl probably set you up to take the fall, Kane incriminating evidence in every aspect to prove you were guilty. Is that your story?"_

 _"Shut up Murphy," Soren hissed. A tone he had heard on more than one occasion with the guards. He had pushed a button-Even pissed her off in the process. "So, she is the reason you're here," he confirmed with a nod of his head. "Some friend you got."_

 _"So help me, if you don't stop the bullshit spewing from that mouth of yours, I'll find a privileged way to break your jaw." She threatened promisingly. "Nah, then who's going to keep you company for the remaining six days of the week until she visits again?"_

He hadn't expected the friendship to remain after that. He figured she'd ignore his existence like the rest that had neighbored his cell. She had certainly caught him off guard the last day before her relocation. She talked to him freely without any hateful resentment.

 _"Callie feels guilty because I stole something, something to help her and I got caught. She never asked, and I never let her know what I was doing. She would've prevented it from happening, as hell bent as she is." Soren murmured quietly, her voice strained from the exhaustion. Soren hadn't been able to sleep. John had sat up with her since she returned to her cells, both unsure what to expect from the Council. He ended up talking to the walls until she was ready to speak. "We all know what happens in the skybox. It's a promised death sentence. This place sates the colony and the council, nobody wants to execute children. On this metal piece of junk, there is no room for mistakes, not even accidental ones."_

 _"What's going to happen when she shows up and there's an empty cell, will Marcus have the decency to tell her."_

 _"Watch your tone Murphy," Soren warned, releasing a heavy sigh as she slumped against the wall. "He's like the father I never had. I'm still pissed about the slander you spoke of last week." She growled, making it clear he was skating on thin ice. Footsteps drew closer and John closed his eyes, "I think your escorts have arrived," he muttered quietly as Soren snorted in response._

 _Brief muffled conversation was heard, but then her voice wafted through the glass as if she were standing in his cell. "Hey Soren," she called out meekly. Soren released an agonized groan of frustration. "Even on my last visitation day, you still look at me with that face." She sounded angry but her tone was apologetic. "I can't help it. I can't help thinking you would've been better off without knowing me because you wouldn't be here."_

 _John straightened up once their voices became muffled, pressing his ear close to the wall. Soren demanded what it would take to remove Callie's guilt before offering a proposal. More words were said before new voices entered the conversation. John was so shocked, he never seen Marcus or Byrnes pass by his cell. While Kane and Byrnes discussed in hushed tones about Jenkin's crew, Soren moved back to the corner, leaning against the wall casually. "I know you heard what was said, hope you don't mind looking after her while I'm in isolation."_

 _"I thought it was for my sanity that you were leaving me in her care," he quirkily remarked, furrowing his eyebrows together. Soren hummed in response, nodding. "It works for both cases, but she's your responsibility now."_

 _"Look at you demanding a favor. We've barely known each other for four months." He joked lightly, to ease the tension settling between the cells. Soren released an irritated sigh, pressing the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "You know well as I do, isolation isn't out of reach, this place is a death sentence. You'll probably be around longer than I will." Soren paused, thoughtfully smiling to herself as before she spoke. "She's always going to show up, never doubt that for a minute. Guilt ridden as she is, it'll fade, but she'll still keep visiting."_

Soren was wrong. She didn't know her friend very well at all. Start of a new month, and Callista was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"Damnit," Callie cursed under her breath, the part slipping from her fingers and drifting a distance away from her. She glared in annoyance through the rounded tempered glass as she pushed her weight forward to close the space between her and the object. "Kane, get your shit together!" Sinclair's voice echoed through the headset, the frequency shrieking at the amplified octave causing her to wince at the feedback. Quickly, she grasped ahold of the object, cradling it to her chest as she exhaled a breath in relief. "Hey you got this," Raven reassured through a murmur. She already exchanged her broken part with the replacement with precise movement.

Callista let out a grunt, nodding her head slightly as she focused on her own task within the anti-gravity stimulation chamber. She was butchering a simple solar array restoration due to the fluid movement restriction of the thick gloves she wore. Her hands shook with every extraction of smaller parts that held the panels together. She slide the old section out, letting it float aimlessly beside of her as she gently secured the new panel effortlessly. Breathing a sigh of relief, she returned the smaller parts to their corresponding places, fastening the panel, grinning widely. "Good work ladies, I think you'll be ready for the next job," Sinclair's voice cackled through the ear piece.

"I thought we had enough qualification to work a job a month ago when we passed the exam," Callie muttered irritably while changing out of the suits in the locker room. Raven glanced over at Callie with a slight smirk. "Where was your focus Kane?" She teased with a pointed look, pulling a tanned tank top over her head. Callie pushed her legs into her cargo pants, averting her gaze as she danced the fabric onto her hips. "Wouldn't be because you missed a morning visitation at the prison station would it?"

"I thought roommates helped one another out," Callie groaned a complaint, muttering a sarcastic 'thanks for the forgotten wake up call.' Callie adjusted the bag full of books on her back, fastening them securely between her shoulder blades before releasing a nervous breath. Reyes eyes curiously studied the bag, knowing from the previous night, that Kane requested it to be delivered in his office. Raven argued that it was a bad idea to wear a bag loaded full of stolen books but Callie disagreed. Hiding in plain sight was a better alternative, a less likely strategy of not getting caught. "He's a total tool," Reyes coolly muttered with a roll of her eyes.

The halls were empty other than an occasional guard on patrol. The late rotation perhaps sat leisurely over a nice cooked meal in the cafeteria after their long shift. Some probably returned to their quarters for the evening, relaxing as a three bodied family. The adolescence undoubtedly found an abandoned hall to loiter around aimlessly until curfew.

"No, he's not." Callie defended offensively with a shake of her head. She pressed her arms against her chest looking at Raven through narrowed slits, unable to handle Reyes assumed judgement. "Finn needs to stop feeding you the rumors that circulate around the prison station. Rumors are to entertain the prisoners. They're stir crazy and filled with gossip." She pointedly justified. Callie denied the circulated speculations Raven spoke in whispers during stimulation. "Speaking of Finn, he's a little disappointed you haven't visited him, at all," Raven pointed out as they trudged down the halls together. "Promises are meant to be kept, and besides, he has his promised time with you anyways. What's the big deal?" Callie muttered dismissively, coming to a slow halt, adjusting the straps of the heavy bag, fidgeting to avoid Reyes penetrating eyes. "Just make time for him, he's your friend too Callie," Raven sighed, before separating herself, heading towards their quarters, deserting Callie.

Evenings were far different than morning visitations. There were a lighter load of guards, less colony population to monitor interacting with the prisoners. Bellamy had waved her into the prison station, muttering he'd input the data so she'd have more time. He didn't even bother to check her bag, which she hadn't even thought about until it was too late. Visitation ended an hour before curfew. Conjugating small groups of prisoners in hushed murmurs were the majority body on the floor, there were hardly any of the free roaming colony members to be found. "Didn't think you'd ever grace me with your lovely presence," John mused as he neared closer to her, breaking away from his escort with a quickened pace. A small smirk pulled at the corner of her lips, an edgy chuckle escaping. "Sorta of slept in. My roommate thinks you're too much of a tool to waste my time on, so she didn't bother waking me." Callie admitted honestly, playing with the frayed end of the ashen hoodie.

"And here I thought you stood me up on our fourth date," he joked casually. Callie sat with her back against a pillar, her legs pulled up underneath her as she stared questionably up at him. "Not like I'm keeping track of our visits or anything," he mumbled sheepishly, taking a seat beside of her, stretching the length of his legs as he relaxed. The conversation was less strained with each visit. Soren was occasionally brought up, wondering if she was safe and hoping she hadn't lost her mind. John kept the conversation he last had with Soren to himself. She didn't believe she was safe, nor did he. He didn't need to worry Callie.

"So, what's in that," John murmured, nodding his head to the bag resting at their feet. He watched Callie out of the corner of his eyes as she fidgeted under his gaze, nervous antics surfacing. Her eyes darted towards the colorful woven knapsack. "Callie?" He repeated quietly. "A few books," she muttered quietly, deciding she could trust John. John hesitated, frowning as he let his eyes bore into hers. "You have books?" he whispered in a hushed tone, cautiously looking around, gauging how close other neighboring groups were. "Callie, that's illegal. What possessed you to bring them to the prison station, are you asking to be locked up?"

"Why do you care besides they could be my own books," she argued stubbornly. John sagged back against the pillar, his face neutral and voided of any emotion. "Nobody owns books, maybe handwritten journals if you're lucky enough, but all books are kept under strict surveillance in the archive," he deadpanned in a serious tone. His palms rubbed against his forehead.

"I don't understand why you're so worried," she muttered dismissively, shrugging carelessly. He glanced at her sideways, licking his lips tentatively, speaking. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, the one that doesn't get caught," he pointedly stated, quirking a brow. "What are you even talking about Murphy?" He shook his head in disbelief, pressing his lips together. "They check bags, with every entrance and exit."


	11. Chapter 11

Maybe she didn't know what she was doing after all. Marcus wasn't in his office. She commed him, to try to explain her situation, but he was unavailable. Out of all the times she needed her father, this was the most unpredictable moment she expected. He told her earlier, he'd be here during the evening visitation. Strict regulations left her without an easy access entry. She flattened herself against the wall, groaning as she beat her forehead against the cool steel. "This day, just keeps getting better, and better." She mumbled, trudging back down the corridor.

Her stomach flipped as she neared the registration queue. The exit was within sight, but an unfamiliar guard stationed at the desk left her queasy. Callie hesitated, pressing her body against the wall to watch the young girl's movements. A colonist breezed past the uniformed brunet without any recognition. Callie bit her lip, deducing that this guard must be new or she didn't care to check those leaving the station. Either way, it gave Callie an advantage. She straightened her back, taking a deep breath. It was the only option, she rationalized, walking. Curfew was close. She had wasted too much time visiting with John. His concerns left her uneasy, making the weight of the bag even heavier if possible. Wearing a knapsack out of the station should be a lot easier than entry considering Bellamy waved her in without any regards to the bag secured to her shoulder blades. She briskly walked towards the exit, sagging with relief as soon as she entered the main corridor of the Ark. Glancing over her shoulder, she briefly checked to be reassured that nobody had followed to harass her. Not that there were sounds of protest, but she needed to be certain.

Checking her wrist, she bit back a cry of frustration. The time blinked, revealing the few minutes she had left to spare. The quick pace turned into a slight jog as she made her way towards the Mecha station. She didn't dare to check her wrist again. With the guards becoming overbearing, she knew that if one of them caught her at this moment, that they would have an ego trip just for her running. She'd end up with penalties for being out late as well as her hurried stride. Turning on her hall, she breathed, decompressing with relief. A few doors from her quarters, boots slapping against the grating caused the fear to spike. "You can't be serious," she whispered, looking behind to see the black cladded uniform chasing her.

"Stop," he commanded harshly. His face hardened when she didn't listen, his speed increasing before pinning her against the wall. Callie groaned as her face impacted against the metal, causing pain to explode beneath her temple as he spoke. "Running this late and past curfew? Want to explain where you've been?"

Her shoulders shook, words failing to speak as his hands grasped the straps of her bag. "The prison station," she rasped, trying to refrain from showing the alarm distressing her entire body. "I took a late visitation and overstayed more than I anticipated," she stuttered as he searched her body, saving the knapsack for last.

She closed her eyes, hoping that because she had just left, he would believe her-knowing that she would've had her bag checked at the end. But as the bag was removed, he grunted at the bulk of the weight. "What the hell are you carrying around?!" She glanced over her shoulder, tears burning behind her eyes as she let out a small sob. The guard tore open the draw strings, pulling out the books, pausing to look up at her horror stricken face. "Under strict regulations, you're being detained for illegal possession without authorization."

* * *

Callista swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at the walls of the interrogation room. She had no doubt that her father would not be the one debriefing the situation. He was immediate family and the Chancellor would forbid it. She was smart enough to know the severity of the consequences once he uncovered the books secured in the knapsack. Tears blurred her vision as she let out an exasperated sob.

She hadn't even experienced the freedom outside the confining piece of metal. All of this had been for nothing. She doubted the Chancellor would pardon her, even if the books were originally stolen by another colonist, but if he did, her licensure would be revoked, leaving her without a job. Leaving Soren locked on the isolation level for nothing. Bowing her head, she silently cried at her own naivety. She should've listened to Raven, heeded John's concerns. But it was too late. Raven had to have known Callista had been caught. It was too far past curfew.

She had been too confident and foolish.

"I didn't ever expect to see you in here kiddo," an acquainted voice spoke upon entering. Callie meekly lifted her gaze, meeting the familiar stoic gaze of the Major as she took a stance in front of the bounded girl. "I commed your father, but the Chancellor is on his way personally." She informed quietly. Callie nodded wordlessly, unable to utter the appreciation she felt in that moment. "I'm going to be locked up for this," Callie clarified, waiting for the confirmation from the Major. Uncertainty morphed her features as she hesitated to answer. "I hope not," she murmured.

The Chancellor breezed into the room, dismissing the Major with a wave of his hand. He waited for the door to shut before facing the tear streaked broken girl, her hands cuffed in her lap as she stared at them numbly. To think he would have the pleasure of handling this situation. An advantage on controlling Kane easily fell into his lap.

Marcus breezed past the registration queue, Byrne's urgent request to come back to the station fueling his strides-especially concerning his own daughter. Entering the halls before the containment cells, he picked up his pace. The interrogation light was blue, indicating that the Chancellor had locked the room down, avoiding outsider disturbances. "Damnit," he hissed, stepping into the door alongside, startled to find Byrne's standing there with a contorted expression of unease.

"She had books Kane, books that were stolen." She murmured inaudibly as the Chancellor slammed his hands on either side of his daughter, startling her. Clearly frightened, Callista burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What is he doing?" Marcus muttered agitatedly, his hands twitching as he stared into the glass. "The same thing you'd be doing if it weren't her or Soren, obtaining information." Byrne responded drily, tilting her head to the side. "You don't seem phased that she was in custody of embezzled archives Kane." Her tone was sharp, knowing even. His hand balled into a fist as the Chancellor pushed boundaries. She gauged his reaction, seeing the crinkles forming at the corner of his eyes as he narrowed them into slits.

"If I didn't know any better, that sounded accusatory Major." He addressed her, his eyes never leaving Callista . Before she could speak any further, Abby appeared, looking frantically between the two. "I'm here for her," she clarified. Marcus nodded in understanding as the Major quirked a brow at the quick exchange. Something left unsaid.

Callista couldn't keep her composure. Not with the Chancellor within close proximity. She couldn't understand how everybody regarded her father as terrifying, when Jaha was absolutely horrifying. She flinched as he slammed his hands down on the arms of her metal chair, rattling her insides as he demanded once more how she acquired the books.

She could admit that she had stolen them. _But what good would that do Soren?_ If she admitted to treason, she would never know that Soren was released being up from the prison station. Besides, she wouldn't put it past the Chancellor to seize an opportunity, speculating that she had become a zero gravity mechanic with the only intent to sabotage the Ark. The only authorization she had was her licensure. Yet she would've had to file request forms. She had no legalities to prove her innocence. Sinclair could vogue for her but that also, didn't help when the books were stolen from the archives before her licensure. And there was a part of her that knew, if she were locked up on the restricted level after admitting to treason, she would never be able to speak to John again either.

A pain radiated from her left cheek as she stared impassively at the Chancellor, watching as he withdrew his hands to cross them against his chest. She lifted her cuffed hands, delicately tracing the tips of her fingers against the already welted skin, feeling the heat from the impact. "Where did the books come from Callista Kane, do not make me ask this question again," Jaha repeated, his patience wearing thin.

A loud noise against the glass made her gaze flicker behind the Chancellor. The door buzzed coinciding with fists banging against the thick metal separating Marcus from his daughter. "Open the door Jaha," Kane roared, unable to endure the callous methods. The Chancellor knew that, as well as Marcus, those books were stolen. The door unlatched, sliding to the side. Jaha stepped out into the hall, his face indifferent as his gaze settled on the enraged father. "Kane, this is your station, but due to your relations concerning the delinquent, you have no rule here."

"This is absurd!" Kane bellowed, shaking as he jabbed a finger pointedly at his chest. "We know those books were stolen prior to this engagement. Diana even ventured that they could have been provided to the black market for a high currency," he seethed, gritting his teeth together as the Chancellor mocked a laugh. Jaha smirked, his smile lethal. "Oh Marcus, do you think I'm clouded into oblivion?" Jaha spoke acidly, his demeanor hardening. "I'm sure we both share a similar insight on how she came into possession of these archives, do not try to play me for a fool."

"Chancellor, as a part of the Council, I will take over the interrogation," Abby spoke from behind them, startling Marcus. His eyes softened, appreciating the interception. Jaha stepped aside, his lips pressed together in a fine line before glaring at Kane. "Either way, they both remain locked up." He concluded conceitedly. The double meaning weighing behind his words left both of them unsettled as he brushed past them, dismissing himself from the situation.

"Thank you," Kane managed, the guilt consuming him as Abby glanced over her shoulder briefly, nodding, before entering the room.

Abby kneeled in front of the girl, her hands caressing the side of Callie's face to get a better view of the purple bruising coloring the high cheekbone. Callie bit down on her trembling lips, flinching at the gentle touch, tears spewing from the corners of her eyes as Abby examined the swelling surface. "I'm sorry," she murmured quietly, sitting back satisfied that she hadn't found any broken bones.

Quivering, Callie nodded acknowledging the fondness caressing her with security. "Not your fault," she croaked, her eyes flickering towards the door. "Can I see my father?" She pressed uneasily, still not trusting of the woman in front of her. Disappointment shadowed Abby's face as she nodded curtly, knowing that Byrne would look the other way under the command of Kane.

Marcus breezed into the room, engulfing her into his arms as she nuzzled her face into his chest. "I'm sorry," she hiccupped. Marcus closed his eyes, pressing his lips to her head, shaking his own. "You don't have to apologize, this is my fault," he murmured into her hair.

"Marcus," Abby gasped, "She'll be eighteen soon." Abby sat morbidly at this realization of her first daughter's birthdate, soon to be her impending death sentence. "I know Abigail," Marcus whispered, tightening his hold as if it were his last. "I know."


	12. Chapter 12

Callie kept her eyes focused on the metal paneling under her feet; she had no desire to see where she would live out the remainder of her days. In a week, she would be celebrating her eighteenth year by being escorted into the airlock chamber for her final breath. Her chest tightened. ' _Soren would never know,'_ she reassured herself. But her mood depleted when she realized that John would think she had given up on him.

Her discolored lips trembled as tears blurred her vision. "Don't cry," Bellamy murmured warningly, his grip tightening on her elbow as he guided her up the flight of steps. "Everything is going to be alright."

Everything was far from alright. She was captive and left a week to live. She doubted the Council would let her live, even if there were two bodies that actually cared for her existence. She frowned, remembering the emotional distress contorting her father's face-it was the same anguish adorning Abby's usual calm and collected face. It wasn't like Callista had a personal relationship with her but Abby looked at her the same way her father had.

"Prisoner, take a step back for your new roommate," Bellamy announced, following protocol. He slipped the card through the key pad, resting the tips of his fingers lightly against the screen before the light indicated a green glow. He gave Callie an apologetic glance, unable to find any comforting words.

"Callie," he breathed unevenly through parted lips. His face scrunched up into disbelief as the broken girl stepped forward, pausing by the doorway as the guard freed her wrists. Contusions colored the left side of her face, welts protruding from her cheek bone. Her busted lips trembled threateningly as he closed the distance between them, engulfing her into his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I fucked up," she whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck concealing the tears cascading down her cheeks. "I fucked up so bad." He asked again what had landed her in detainment but the words were obstructed beneath the lump of defeat clustered in her throat. "Everything Soren did was a waste of her life," she released a strangled sob.

"What did you do," he repeated again. On the last visit with Raven, she mentioned the plan to free Soren. It was reasonable and safe. But yet, here Callie stood, shaking with sobs in his arms. Finn sucked in a sharp breath, closing his eyes as the nausea overwhelmed him. "Callie, where's Raven?" She cried harder at the mention of Raven's name as he stiffened. "Callie, where's Ray?" he asked softly, pulling away. "I don't know," she whispered through hiccups of sobs, "I haven't seen her since yesterday, during stimulation."

"Do you think she's been floated?" he asked harshly causing her to flinch visibly when he pushed her away from his embrace. He gritted his teeth together unable to meet the darkened emerald eyes staring confusedly at him. "Why would you think she's been floated?"

"I don't know Callie!" He shouted hatefully, placing space between their bodies as his hands shook. The anger rising in his chest as he narrowed his eyes into slits. "Because the last I heard, she was a part of _your_ elaborated scheme to break Soren out."

"No Finn," she murmured reassuringly, shaking her head. "She's probably searching the entirety of the piece of confining metal looking for me, severely pissed off, but not floated." His body sagged with relief, his anger depleting. "She wasn't with you?"

"No. I was supposed to meet my father last night after my visit with John-except he wasn't there. I got caught after curfew, running back to our room." She explained quietly, her eyes shifting towards the opened glass as she tilted her head in confusion. "Levels ground to three roam free until curfew. I'm taking it your father didn't brief you on the rules, did he?" Finn clarified. She barely shook her head, averting her gaze to examine the rest of the cell.

She stared wordlessly through the small portal. The darkness captivating her attention seemed infinite. Specks of stars littered the blackness, allowing her a brief moment of relief. Everything seemed so small compared to space.

"Just so you know, when I complained to Raven about your lack of visits, I didn't mean get yourself imprisoned and become my roommate," he teased lightly, observing her every move. She had collected herself far too quickly for his liking, not that he minded, but he knew her better than most.

Callie kept her arms wrapped around her frame securely, afraid that if she let go, she'd fall apart. "It won't be for long Finn," she muttered darkly, her gaze lingering on the vivid hues of blue and green illuminating from the Earth. Swirling shades of white covering the surface. "At least I have a nice view to enjoy."

"What do you mean Callie?" Finn muttered in bewilderment, furrowing his brows as she turned away from the window, meeting his soft russet eyes. She shook her head solemnly, pressing her lips tightly together, refraining from mentioning her upcoming birthday.

She took a step towards the opening, pausing as she glanced over her shoulder. "So, I'm allowed to walk out, anywhere in the station?" She inquired, tilting her head as Finn nodded. "Anywhere except the fifth level, that's solitude."

* * *

Bellamy watched Callie from across the room as she sat motionlessly against the pillar by the bench she'd visit with John and Soren, staring up at the upper levels. He was surprised to find her on the ground floor so soon. Usually, new prisoners were timid to leave their cells. But here she sat, lost in thought, staring aimlessly. "Heard she was an accessory to crime of McKenzie," another guard spoke up from behind, startling him from his observation. Both transfixed by her boldness to roam free. "She should be up on the restricted level or even better, in solitary," he grumbled his biased opinion.

"That's only speculation," Bellamy muttered, glancing sideways to find the unacquainted voice belonging to Grayson. Grayson shrugged off the denial, brushing strands of his blonde hair from his face. "She's Marcus Kane's kid, I thought you, of all the colonists, would be against the privileged, not become fascinated," he sneered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Just shut the hell up," Bellamy dismissed his ignorance as he kept his eyes trained on her. Grayson started up the steps off the sides, to do his rounds on the upper floors. Bellamy watched him until he started down the second corridor before walking around the ground floor, pausing to lean against the pillar.

"You should go talk to him," he suggested, startling Callie from her thoughts as she jumped at the sudden engagement.

The guilt consumed her, swallowed her whole. Images of Soren's anger flashed realistically as her eyes shifted towards the fifth level; wondering how well she'd handle seeing Callie locked in the same hell hole. She glanced over at Bellamy, offering a forced smile. "What's the point? It's better for him to think I've given up, then to let him know I share the same fate."

Why continue maintaining a promise when the kiss of death wasn't far from touching her lips. John joked about her giving up all the time, so at least he expected that of her. He expected her to walk away since day one.

 _"I think that's a lie."_

 _"I'm going to prove it," Callie whispered after silence settled between them comfortably. Her hand reached out unsteadily, fingers gathering his hand into her own. "I want to be here," she spoke more confidently, a genuine smile playing across her lips. "You're only here out of your own guilt for your friend." He muttered, snatching his hand away as if she had burned him. His words poured the salt deeper into her wounds as she flinched. "You don't have to lie to me."_

 _She furrowed her eyebrows together staring wordlessly at the darkened manifestation shadowing his smooth face. The pain was so visible in the swirling blue hues of his eyes. His eyes reflected her own. "I'm not lying to you," she spoke softly, glancing down at her hands as she wrung them together nervously. "I'll prove it, you'll see."_

Callie sharply inhaled, remembering that sudden urge to shield away the pain. She wanted to protect him. But yet, if she let him believed she gave up, she wouldn't be able to defend him from herself. She would be the one hurting him, because she had kept her promise to Soren. And continued, to prove to John, he was wrong.


	13. Chapter 13

**_*~*IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE HERE AT THE TOP, READ OR BE LOST*~*_**

If you don't want to read this A/N then that's okay I'm not going to be offended. _*waves with an understanding look*_ I've been there, it's annoying when you just want to read what's going to happen, but this is necessary. I'm going to start with the good news because I just made you guys feel like there isn't an update coming at the bottom of this but don't worry, I have my update, ready to be posted. But with good news, comes bad news, right? I'm doing another massive edit after this instance, more flashbacks. Hinting towards Soren being **_Callie's_** roommate. Tying little loose ends up, along with adjusting my grammar mistakes and spelling errors-yes, I've seen them because sometimes, I have to motivate myself by reading my master copy on my laptop.

 ** _Murphy: "Wait, who the fuck is Callie? Where's Alex?"_**

 _ **CALLISTA/CALLIE**_ has returned. And she isn't going anywhere ever again. I really, _Really_ , **REALLY** , should've slept on that name change for a few days. Because let me tell you what, I absolutely hated writing Alexandria and Alex. Ask Small Angry Author's if you don't believe me. She's heard me bitch about it since night fucking one. Last night, I told her I was tempted to return the former name of my protagonist, she told me to do it, and I did-this is probably the millionth time Skye has heard me make this comment, bless her existence for putting up with indecisive little old me. Please don't hate me for name changing, again.

So, the point of this very important author's note, is that I'm massively editing and considering adding **new details,** **and doubling updates under one chapter** that way we haven't spent thirteen chapters on the Ark (I've loved every second of it but I'm ready to be on ground.) So the next update, MIGHT BE CHAPTER EIGHT OR SOMETHING-just throwing out a different number, not giving a definite number.

 **DISCLAIMER: This chapter is subjected to a massive change ((ESPECIALLY THE DREAM-MORE DETAILS BECAUSE I WAS HALF ASLEEP WRITING THIS UPDATE) but I'm posting it because I promised a quick update and I've been prolonging it. I have found my least favorite chapter, and it's this one. Just a fair warning.**

No promise of updates will happen after this until I've massively edited. But you're more then welcome to come meet my two favorite grounder siblings while you wait, **Ruins of the Old by Skye and Kayla** (it's on my favorite author/story lists).

 _ **UPDATED (11-13-16):**_ So thanks to the new guest review, Jag, I realize it is simply confusing to leave Alex/Alexandria until I massively edit and upload, especially considering this update has Callie/Callista. Sorry for the confusion. I'm in the process of reworking the uploads and I'll let you guys know when the new stuff is added, if it's anything of importance-it's mostly details for me. Because I lack details when writing. If i forgot any edits to the linebreaks, ignore them, it's where a pretty line is suppose to go but I think i got them all. Until the next update!

 _ ***~*END*~***_

Frozen at the top of the stairs, she stood staring down the corridor of the balcony. She tried to convince herself that it was better to let him assume than to actually know of her disappearance, but her legs moved mechanically, putting her body in motion as she came to a slow stop in front of his cell. John rested against the battered mattress, curled on his side, facing the wall. The steady rise and fall of his chest indicated he was sleeping but Callie knew better than to believe that. The shadows underneath his eyes were proof enough that he never slept.

She brushed her knuckles lightly against the tempered glass, watching as he registered the noise to glance over his shoulder. He sat up further, startled at her disheveled appearance. "Callie?" he mumbled. He moved quickly towards the glass upon seeing the discoloration of her cheeks. "What the hell happened to your face?" he demanded horrified at darkened contusions and blood crusted lips.

"No, wait," he mumbled, glancing to the side of the wall. Only one tally mark had been scratched into the surface with his last dinner utensils. He scrunched his face up in confusion glancing back at her. "It's not visitation, what are you doing here?"

He just saw her yesterday night, after dinner. He glanced over her appearance, seeing the familiar tousled clothes. A dark ashen grey hoodie still covering her torso paired with the black cargo pants clinging to her hips. He breathed sharply through his nose. "You're a prisoner." It wasn't a question. Callie gradually sat down, resting her head against the glass and drawing her body further into the slight alcove provided.

"Did a guard, do that to you?" He spoke quietly, taking a seat on the other side, mirroring her position. His eyes took in the welts slightly protruding from the contused surface. She shook her head, explaining the occurrence of the detainment in details. John hands balled up into fists, hearing the way the Chancellor had roughed her up during interrogation. "Why did you even have those damn books anyways?"

She frowned, glancing up at John. His tone indicated she was foolish for having such items on her in person. "Do you not know what landed Soren as your neighbor?" She quirked an eyebrow as he faltered in a response. Clearly, he had no knowledge of Soren's sentence. Callie thought over the past visits. She had never bothered to mention the minor detail-she assumed he knew. "She stole books so that I could pass my exam."

"How did she get caught if you had them?" He asked cautiously, hoping to avoid upsetting her. John still was unsure of what boundaries their conversations could consist of, but so far, he hadn't found a wall. Yet he kept his own corruption to himself, afraid of assumed judgement. Afraid that the way Callie looked at him, would change drastically like those on the Ark-Even in the prison station. He was surrounded by other delinquents that casted looks of disdain in his direction.

"Honestly, we really don't know. Marcus looked into it further, but he couldn't find any valid proof. Other than video surveillance, we've speculated, that it was possibly the person who got her into the archives." Callie shrugged her shoulders simply, knowing it was a lost cause searching for how Soren had been accused.

"There was no proof yet they still detained her?"

Callie snorted, nodding her head angrily. "Of course. A lot has changed over the past few months. They arrest anybody for simply running. Fuck, that's how I got caught trying to make curfew." She sighed heavily, biting her lip. The bitter taste of copper iron filled her senses. She grimaced at the break of scabbing crusting her lips as the blood trickled down her chin. Pressing the sleeve of her hoodie to her face, she continued. "You can't exactly argue with the Council, let alone the Chancellor when he proclaims that your best friend is a terrorist on a live broadcast from his office to the whole fucking colony."

* * *

Callista kept her visits with John for the rest of her stay in the prison station, for as long as she manage until a guard would advise her to get back to the ground floor; Bellamy was the only official who would let her stay for the remainder of his shift.

But today, she found herself lying on the piss reeking stained mattress as the thoughts of her impending demise suffocated her. She wasn't sad. It felt like she deserved it for throwing all her opportunities out the window by being so reckless. But she wouldn't lie about being afraid. The thought of death was foreign. She expected to live out her career before dying like a normal colonist.

The fear of suffering, struggling for her last breath, was the sole focus of her misery. She inhaled, filling her lungs with deep breaths. Cutting off the supply of oxygen by pursing her lips together and pinching her nose, she tested how long she could cope without breathing. Her lungs burned with protest. Her head pulsed with the beat of her heart. Her brain screamed for her to open her mouth and breathe, but she denied it. The furthest she could manage was thirty seconds over a minute.

"Are you going to tell him?" Finn broke the unbearable silence. Her head rolled sideways, seeing his irritated expression at the asphyxiating pity festivity she engaged into. "No," she breathed out, returning her stare out the window, in oblivion.

"Callie, you can't just build a relationship, and check out with your death like you deserve it, because you don't," He yelled, furrowing his eyebrows. Disbelief clouded his expression as he barely recognized the girl sprawled against the mattress. She was barren of any emotion, entertaining her imagination with fears of floating in the void. "The girl I knew wouldn't be lacking the consideration for those close to her. He fucking deserves to know that you're going to be floated at dawn."

"I don't have a relationship with him. I have a mutual agreement with him based on a promise." Acid dripped from her words as she sat up, narrowing her vicious green eyes at Finn. She attempted to be barren, to avoid regrets, but Finn had shattered the shell sheathing her. "Don't make me regret telling you."

Standing she jabbed her finger into his chest. Finn only spoke the truth she needed to hear. He denied her chance of self-destruction. Tears burned behind her eyes, threatening to spill. "You don't get to stand here and patronize me for how I choose to live my final hours." She whispered hoarsely, feeling the wetness slip down her cheeks. "You don't get to make me feel guilty for choosing to protect him." She shook her head, a stifled cry slipping from her lips as her voice trembled. "You have a whole year under your belt with Raven where as I barely have twenty four hours."

"Don't do this to him."

"Why do you even care what happens to John fucking Murphy?" She bellowed, anger searing through veins. "You despise him! You made Raven think he was a piece of shit delinquent." Poising in a collected manner, she lowered her voice. "And I'll have you know, he is everything but that. He seems distant, and hostile. But that's his shield from shallow minded fools like you."

She spun on her heel, fleeing the suffocation closing in on her. Her feet guided her up the steps, taking her towards the last place she wanted to be. But Callie knew Finn would never follow her to the fourth level because of his own misassumptions. John was already sitting against the glass expecting her arrival. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted. Quietly, without disturbing him from his slumber, she sat beside of him, resting her own eyes.

 _"Callista," he murmured, cupping her face in the palms of his hands. Staring down at her, he forced a pained smile. Uneasiness settled between them, the revelation of her secret weighing heavily, silencing their embrace. "It's okay," he lied._

 _She shook her head, closing her eyes to avoid any disappointment. "I didn't want to tell you, but I didn't want you to believe I walked away from you!" She sobbed, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. The room darkened as he forcibly pushed her away._

 _"I wish you would've."_

Light raps sounded, startling Callista awake, turning her head towards the noise maker. "So, you fell asleep watching me, that's becoming a rather creepy habit Cal, I might have to alert the guards you're stalking me." She snorted, her shoulders shaking with laughter, the nightmare evading her thoughts. "I'm under the belief that you secretly adore being ogled, especially by me," she replied forwardly, shrugging her shoulders with a devilish grin and wink.

John balked at her reply, his eyes widening. "That's an actual honest answer," he praised, his grin reaching the depths of his eyes. "I didn't think you were capable of speaking without a filter." Callie impishly scowled, rolling her eyes to amuse the jaded boy. She placed a finger against her lips as she mocked astonishment. "I think that's the first genuine smirk I have ever seen."

"You know, being one of the freebies, you spend a lot of time on the restricted levels." He peered at her with interest, wanting answers. His voice was unsettling, a coldness underlying it, almost accusing. Irritated prodded at Callie as she pressed her lips together, not understanding the sudden shift in his mood. "You talk, in your sleep," John resolved her uncertainty.

Callie inhaled a sharp breath, flinching. "What did I say?" She inquired as he shrugged her off, looking away from her with a clenched jaw. "John?" She probed, watching his stoic expression for any clue on her wrong doing. "And here I thought, our relationship had evolved beyond this point, how fitting for it to return as a parting gift," She spoke with intolerable sarcasm.

"What do you mean parting gift?"

"Tell me what I said," Callie bargained. He shook his head, denying her request. "Then I guess, you'll never know, and this will be the last time you see me." She stood suddenly, wobbling as the tingling sensation flooded her legs at the return of her regulated blood circulation.

"Cal, wait, just wait!" He sighed heavily, glancing up at her. He gestured towards the opposing side of the glass. She conceded silently, crossing her arms against her chest while she waited patiently. "You were whimpering, and I tried calling out, saying it would be okay. But you protested, saying you didn't want to tell me, but you didn't want me to believe you walked away."

She pressed her lips together, feeling them quiver as the ominous dream clouded her senses. "Did you say, anything else," she offered, pleading with him to stay silent.

"I wish you would've."

She nodded knowingly, averting her gaze as her vision blurred. "Cal, talk to me," he whispered hoarsely, seeing her reaction made him regret ever uttering those words. "Cal-"

"Please stop calling me that," she croaked, covering her mouth to stifle her sobs. She swallowed the lump in her throat, clearing it. "I am so sorry. I wasn't even going to tell you. And it makes it harder, knowing you wanted me to walk away." Her chest burned, almost as if she stopped breathing-she hadn't.

"Knowing that you wanted me to give up, should make this easier, but it feels like I've already been floated," she admitted inaudibly, laughing at her own stupidity.

"What are you blabbering about Callista," John seethed through his teeth, his hand slapping against the glass, startling her. She met his gaze, crumbling under his scrutiny as silent tears slipped down her cheeks. "Leaving you." John sucked in a sharp breath, furrowing his brows together. "I thought you kept your promises."

"Death doesn't keep any promises, it breaks them John."


	14. Chapter 14

When John finally summoned the courage to look up after the prolonged silence, Callista was gone. He scrambled to his feet, slapping his palms against the tempered glass with hopes that she hadn't wandered far. He pressed his forehead against the glass, briefly catching a glimpse of the auburn hair two floors below, his palms slipping to his sides. "Shit," he mumbled, running his hands through his hair, fingers knotting in the shaggy length. "Shit, shit, shit."

A feral cry escaped his lips as he released his frustration by kicking at the walls confining him. He lost track of time but it wasn't long after he stopped before approaching footsteps caused him to glance up, seeing Bellamy coming back with Callista right on his heels. John furrowed his brows together, unable to comprehend the situation, watching quietly. Bellamy slide the card into the keypad after glancing around the room, checking the other posted guards before giving the access codes without hesitation and hurrying Callie into the cell.

"Thank you, for this," Callie whispered quietly, stepping through the entryway before Bellamy let the glass slide back into place. "I'll be back before the end of my shift to release you." Bellamy glanced over at John, studying the frantic disheveled mess the boy had become. Pressing his lips together, he gave Murphy an apologetic nod before leaving quickly to return to his duties.

Callista wrapped her arms tightly around John's neck while she fully embraced him. The foreign feeling intensified as he slowly snaked his arms around her shaking frame, keeping her close while she buried her face into his neck. "I'm sorry," she repeated in a hushed tone, her warm breath raising the hairs on his skin.

He sank to the floor, keeping his arms locked around her. "So, is this your parting gift then?" He teased quietly, unable to handle the silence that settled between the two of them. A chuckle escaped her lips as she glanced up to find him staring right down at her, waiting.

"It is a bit nicer than yours, isn't it?" She retorted with a sly smirk, resting her head against his shoulder. "Happy birthday Callista," he murmured, pressing his lips lightly against her forehead. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.

 _"John," she breathed out, turning in his arms, snuggling closer against his chest. He pressed his face in the nook of her shoulder, breathing in the traces of lavender, trying to commit this moment to his memory. "I like you."_

 _His breathing hitched, grip tightening around her waist, drawling her closer if possible. "I like you too, Callie," he whispered, hoping she heard him._

* * *

When Callista awoke, she was laying alone on the cushioning of a cot. Frowning, she looked around in confusion, a haze still filtering through her head discovering John leaning against the port, staring out into the void. "I fell asleep," she groaned, flattening her back against the cot.

She turned her head at the lack of response, studying the whites of his fingers clutching the ledge of the window. Sadness was etched deep into his features with a shadow darkening his face. John tried to shift his gaze away from the neighboring station, from the spot he wished was never a part of his ports view.

"You can see it from there, can't you?" Callista breathed out in realization.

He didn't answer her question, turning to watch as she peered out from the blanket that was snugly cocooning her body. Those curious green eyes shining brightly even in the darkest hour. He moved forward, crawling back into the safety of the mattress, lying beside of her in silence. This is what life would've been like if he hadn't been so reckless with his anger-if they both hadn't been so careless. He could've been happy with just her company.

"They should be coming to get me for my trial soon," she whispered, a frown fitting between her eyebrows causing the wrinkles of worry to appear. He nodded, swallowing the lump forming in his throat, watching as she nervously chewed on her lip. "You want to know what the worst part is," she paused, capturing his gaze before continuing. "The worst part isn't dying, the worst part is knowing I won't see you again," she choked out, tears rolling down her cheeks silently.

His hands cupped her face, his thumbs lightly tracing her trembling lips. Without hesitating, he leaned forward, pressing his lips gently against hers. Her hands traveled up his chest, grasping the material of his shirt in her hands while moving her lips against his, deepening the kiss.

Callista didn't know how long they were kissing but the sound of the glass sliding open shortly ended the moment shared, causing the two to jump apart as if they weren't lip locked into starving desperation. Heavily breathing, she smiled at John before glancing at the door. Instead of Bellamy, she saw her father. "Oh shit," John muttered, spotting Byrnes waiting in the hall. "Already," she whispered, her heart dropping in her chest, stomach tightening into knots.

"Callie," Marcus whispered, stepping into the cell as he fully embraced her, breathing deeply before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You're going to be okay," he whispered quietly to her, his eyes darting up to the boy shifting closer to his daughter in curiosity.

"I don't have much time to explain, but you have another chance. Not that I think it's a better alternative but you don't really have a choice."

"What do you mean Dad?" She muttered in confusion.

"He's chosen you to be a part of the one hundred being sent to the ground," Abigail clarified, stepping into the cell against Major Byrnes protests. "You're sending both my daughters to the ground." She accused, tears building up behind her eyes as she glared at Marcus Kane. It almost felt personal to her but even she knew better than to believe that.

"Abby, not now, this is not the time." Kane spoke evenly with a pointed look. "Give me a better time to tell her Kane!" Abby protested, throwing both her hands up into the air. "Oh, wait, that's right, there isn't one. Because there's a good chance she's as good as dead, right?"

"Abby, forty-eight hours ago, Chancellor Jaha established his decision to float her, this isn't a better alternative but at least it's one where she has the chance to survive." Abby nodded sullenly in agreement, averting her gaze. Marcus thought he was saving them. He believed that whole heartedly, even though he felt like he was sending his own to her death sentence. He was doing the best he could to save Callista, and even Clarke. But it didn't change the anger that clouded Abby's judgment.

"Is she telling the truth?" Callista whispered, looking between them both as she felt John's fingers intertwine with hers, locking them together in comfort. "Is she really my mom?"

"We don't have time to explain this right now, but yes and one day, when we're both on the ground, we'll talk about it." Abby murmured with a gentle smile. Tears shined brightly in her eyes as she grasped the hands of her daughter, pulling her into an embrace. "I'm so sorry I don't have time to explain it, but you won't be alone on the ground. You'll have Finn, John, and Soren. You'll be okay." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You're going to be okay," she reassured, almost trying to convince herself more than anything.

Confusion overwhelmed Callie as she nodded in response before Marcus pulled Callie into a tight hug, crushing her to his chest. He pressed his lips against her head, closing his eyes. "I love you, so much," he whispered into her hair. Callista released a sob as she buried her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to prevent this all, but I am so proud of you, and I know you're going to be okay." He paused, pulling away and gripping her shoulders tightly. "You're a smart kid, I'll see you again."

 _ ***~*Author's Note*~***_

 _Hey guys! It's been a long, long, long, long while. So, let's update y'all on why I've been gone. I gave up editing obviously. I'm not going to do that until i finish the story because editing a work in progress, I've found that it's super highly annoying. Also, my laptop bit the dust, hardcore. I knew it was coming awhile back ago when i had to restore it twice to save me from the black screen, but i think my graphics card has officially died. So, if it's expensive to repair, I'll be saving for a new laptop. That's basically the run down of what's been keeping me since May._

 _So, I'm back and I'm going to try real hard to be actively updating every week. Thank you to everybody who has kept checking back to see if I've updated, thanking you for the new follows and favorites, and the new comment:_ _ **LapisLuzuliRose**_ _, this is what is happening. Not a super long update and I apologize, but i'll try to do better next time, thank you for being patient 3_


	15. Chapter 15

She twisted her body, thrashing wildly against the mattress, in attempt to free herself from the restraints. She tried to release a scream, only to be stifled by the cloth pressed between her lips, silencing her indefinitely. Her eyes darted nervously towards the dark corner of the cell where the guard leaned against the wall, his arms crossed casually across his chest watching as her fight slowly evaporated as she stilled, paralyzed by the amusement that danced dangerously in his eyes.

"It's a shame that you have a second chance at a life, a terrorist like you." He spat out distastefully, his icy eyes narrowing with hatred. He snorted, shaking his head in bewilderment. "I mean, it's amazing that there's even a chance at survival on Earth. Nobody is certain if any of you are going to live or die down there." He paused briefly, stepping closer towards her, tilting his head almost playfully. "But I'd rather not take those chances on your survival."

Tears silently slipped down her face as the guard closed the remaining distance with a malicious smile. He yanked her arm hard, a loud sickening pop echoing off the cell walls, jamming a needle into her veins. He pushed the syringe, a crazed burning sensation spread through the tip. A strangled cry released through her parted lips, sobs shaking her entire body.

Her mind clouded over and she fell back limp against the mattress, frozen by her own fear. Darkness crept in through the corners of her eyes, blackening her sight as Grayson laughed at the worried expression morphing her features. "Don't worry Soren. You're as good as dead in a few hours. Wouldn't want it to be over too soon though, I want you to suffer like Jenkins had to because of you.

* * *

Very faintly, she could hear the distinct, commanding tone of Counsellor Jaha's words, bringing her to consciousness like cold bucket of water to the face. _"Prisoners of The Ark, hear me now."_

Blinking away the drowsy heavy lidded eyes, Soren slowly became aware of her situation. Jaha's face was mounted on a monitor of the metal paneling. His lips were moving, explaining something about Mount Weather. There was no recollection how long she had been unconscious since the injection, let alone how she ended up aboard the dropship.

But against Grayson adamant wishes, she was still alive and barely breathing.

The more attentiveness to her situation became, the more her body ached in pain. It felt like she was being held under water, her lungs felt like they were being crushed, burning in agony. Almost as if she was slowly dying of suffocation. Recollecting a calm sense of mindfulness, she evaluated her situation further. As much as she willed herself to move, her legs felt heavy and her arms dangled uselessly at her sides. Panic settled in, her heart racing rapidly in her chest, beating harshly against her ribs, making the struggle for calm and even breaths harder.

Her head lolled to the side, vision blurring and refocusing, over and over. Unfamiliar faces surrounded her, mouths moving erratically, expressing words of relief being aboard the dropship but their chattering white noise became distorted to Soren. Each body around her had been secured in a red harness. Grayson must've brought her in here before the rest of the prison population, purposely leaving her harness off. He knew she wouldn't have any muscle movement to secure herself safely.

Time slowed around Soren as the dropship shook tremendously as it broke through the Earth's atmosphere. She felt her body lunge forward, lifting from the seat as she was thrown across the shuttle. Her head hit the grated floor hard on her last impact, warmth oozing down between her eyes. Her vision blurring worsened; blinking cleared it temporarily before the fuzzy edges reappeared within seconds. Soren was sprawled out motionlessly on the floor, watching this metal pole loosen with each tremble. She closed her eyes, mouthing a small prayer to watch over her friends, knowing that if she didn't die from the turbulence first, then she'd surely die of the hemlock injection.

Pain erupted from her abdominal causing her to inhale sharply, releasing a guttural gasp. Her eyes drifted down, seeing the pole had broken free and lodged itself into her body. Wheezing sounds escaped her cracked lips, blood sputtering between her teeth from the internal bleeding. Death was unavoidable at this point, she was certain of that much.

Auburn curls stood out amongst the unfamiliar faces. Soren watched as John secured his arms around Callie, his lips pressing against her forehead in comfort. Callista's face morphed into fear, clenching her eyes shut, unable to witness the crash landing bound to happen. John watched the panic unfold, tightening his hold around her as he responded to something with fire in his eyes. Orders were being instructed within the chaos.

His gaze settled on a pair of those familiar blue eyes, lying lifelessly on the ground. Blood was everywhere. It trickled from between the brows of her eyes to the corner of her lips. Her chest wasn't rising or falling. A pole jutted from her stomach, causing the blood to pool beneath her sprawled limbs.

Soren was as good as dead.

* * *

"Kane, I'm not going to apologize for telling her before she's sent to an uncertain outcome." Abby stated quietly, her eyes following the disheveled mess of a worried father slowly coming undone as he paced back and forth the small compartment. The lines of worry were etched so deeply into his forehead that Abby wished that Callista and Clarke were never placed on the drop ship. "They're going to be fine Marcus." She whispered half-heartedly.

"You don't know that Abby!" Marcus roared, stopping in his tracks to glare at the woman he loved. Anger coursed through him as he recalled being told the plan for Ark's survival, sacrificing the children aboard the prison station. "We don't know if the atmosphere is even survivable, so you can't say our girls, are going to be just fine."

Abby closed the space between them, wrapping her arms securely around Marcus. He buried his face into her collarbone seeking her comfort, breathing in her sweet flowery scent reminding him of days he missed. A life he could've had but couldn't move forward with. "I regret many things in my lifetime, playing the role that I do on the Ark, but does it make me a bad man if I don't regret having an affair with you," he whispered quietly. "Even if we never got the chance to tell Jake."

Abby inhaled a sharp breath, shame heating her cheeks as she thought about her deceased husband. The amount of deceit she had created might not have ruined their marriage but it ended his existence. She betrayed his trust by not only sleeping with his best friend, but revealing the secrets he confided within the walls of their home. This was the guilt she had to live with now, sending her own husband to his death.

"No, that doesn't make you a bad man," she whispered into his hair, tears slipping down her face, "because you would've never gotten to know such a wonderful daughter."

* * *

 _ ***~*Author's Note *~***_

 ** _A long time waiting for this one. I've been meaning to rewatch the series to upload updates in correspondence to each episode that way I don't loose the order of events but it's been a hard time working with this story because now I'm at the point of, where should I go from here? It also doesn't help that I've been focusing on other hobbies such as streaming, drawing, and con life. But I do want to keep uploading to this story. It just might go on hiatus for a bit and I might work on the newer story probably. Also, I have considered maybe dedicating a discord category and channel to post updates and take ideas into consideration, if anybody is interested? Just let me know what you think because that's where I'm most active outside of my Twitter account, (KalexKilljoy). Writing is apart of my New Years resolution, so I do plan on being more active here, it's just been really hard to get back into writing and I still have yet to obtain my own laptop due to life hardships and setbacks._**

 ** _I will be hardcore editing the scene with Abby and Kane, adding more context and details, clearing up the affair. It's too short but I don't want to go too in depth to how Abby was able to have two children cus it's a loop hole and it gets explained later, I swear. But I just wrote that scene on my phone because I'm afraid to loose the first half of this update which I had planned since the isolation of Soren for her safety, but in the end, it still didn't work out for her. I'm going to miss her character and the person but that's also a closed chapter of my life now. So, it feels right laying that character down to rest._**


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